Columnist and former Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia, Sam Vaknin, reviews global water scarcity and the likelihood of water-related conflicts. Starting with his personal experience of water scarcity growing up in Israel, Vaknin highlights the world’s well known transboundary water conflicts from Mexico-USA to Central Asia. He then presents opposing views on whether scarcity will lead to water-related conflicts. Vaknin believes market solutions and water recycling have the potential to prevent conflicts. His final conclusion is that “there is no reason to assume that water would cause more warfare than oil or national pride. But water scarcity sure causes dislocation, ethnic tension, impoverishment, social anomy, and a host of other ills. It is in fending off these pernicious, all-pervasive, and slow-acting social processes that we should concentrate our efforts”.

Web sites:

• Unesco - World Water Assessment Programme - From Potential Conflict to Cooperation Potential (PCCP)
• Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database

Related news:

• Climate change: extreme scenario predicts water wars, Source, 8 Mar 2004
• Professor William Mitsch, Ohio State University, USA – “Water wars are possible”, Source, 8 Sep 2004

Contact: Sam Vaknin, http://samvak.tripod.com

Source: Sam Vaknin, Global Politician, 20 May 2005

Tags: water resources management