I am a recent graduate of William and Mary with a double major in environmental science and policy and public policy. I will be an energy blogger. How can the U.S. reduce its dependence on foreign oil? Is green technology going to happen sooner than we think? What kind of message is needed to sell individuals on the need to stop drill baby drill? These are some of the questions I'd like to ex...
Wars: Is a War over Water Brewing?
Ensuring equal and fair access to clean water may be an uphill challenge due to the sheer size of the population that is expected.
" This increase in the world population, in turn, affects access to a clean water supply in terms of both "(reducing) the amount of water available for industrial and agricultural development (and) aquatic ecosystems and their dependent species." The World Water Council clearly shows the importance of having access to clean water not only for human consumption and activity but also for marine organisms whose survival depends on having clean water in the first place.
A potential source of conflict with water may actually be brewing already in some countries. To highlight concerns about water shortage, Reuters reports that water disputes are increasing "between hostile neighbors India and China and the complex relations governing the vast Mekong River, which is served by China and its southern neighbors, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam." As a result, water shortages are likely to come to fruition due to a variety of issues ranging from growing global populations such as those in Asia. As such, water wars may become a huge issue where countries and regions fight over what should be universal access to this precious and important commodity. Yet due to a variety of factors ranging from prolonged droughts to a an exponential increase in population for the near future, the demand for water will clearly outpace the supply.
Increasing access to a clean water supply cannot happen overnight. Rather, it will have to be a combination of better environmental stewardship and increased cooperation among countries. Better management of the water supply, however, can occur today so that future wars over water do not break out. Right now, it is unclear how to better manage the water supply efficiently. Perhaps a global agreement is needed since access to clean water is a necessity for all the world's population.
A potential source of conflict with water may actually be brewing already in some countries. To highlight concerns about water shortage, Reuters reports that water disputes are increasing "between hostile neighbors India and China and the complex relations governing the vast Mekong River, which is served by China and its southern neighbors, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam." As a result, water shortages are likely to come to fruition due to a variety of issues ranging from growing global populations such as those in Asia. As such, water wars may become a huge issue where countries and regions fight over what should be universal access to this precious and important commodity. Yet due to a variety of factors ranging from prolonged droughts to a an exponential increase in population for the near future, the demand for water will clearly outpace the supply.
Increasing access to a clean water supply cannot happen overnight. Rather, it will have to be a combination of better environmental stewardship and increased cooperation among countries. Better management of the water supply, however, can occur today so that future wars over water do not break out. Right now, it is unclear how to better manage the water supply efficiently. Perhaps a global agreement is needed since access to clean water is a necessity for all the world's population.
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