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Readily available freshwater is confined to a mere fraction of the world’s 2.5% freshwater supply; additionally, this unevenly distributed global resource is facing intense pressure though overextraction and unsustainable practices. Water conflicts can arise through inequitable sharing and has been witnessed at various geographical scales – local & sub-basin/-national, national, regional / transboundary, and global. The characteristics that make … |
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While it may seem that the earth has an abundance of water, only 2.5% is freshwater, and a mere 0.3% of that is readily available for human use (the majority stemming from groundwater aquifers, followed by lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and wetlands) [Vörösmarty et al., 2005]. On top of that, water is unequally distributed throughout the world – nine countries – Brazil, Russia, China, Canada, Indonesia, U.S., India, Columbia and the Democratic Republic … |
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Water use has been growing at more than the rate twice of population increase in the last century; in 60% of European cities with more than 100,000 people, groundwater is being used at a faster rate than it can be replenished [WBCSD, 2005]. The IPCC identifies the most important drivers of water use as population and economic development, and changing societal views on the value of water, which refers to the prioritization of domestic and industrial … |
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The concept of water stress applies to situations where there is not enough water for all uses, whether agricultural, industrial, or domestic; it is related to over- allocation of water, degradation of water quality and uneven utilization between riparians [Pegasys, 2010]. In terms of resource management, this should not be confused with basin complexity, which is “related to the number of riparian countries, the lack and/or unevenness of national … |
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The discrepancy between freshwater availability and demand has resulted in water stress and scarcity, which can eventually lead to conflict. |
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Where water is scarce, competition for limited supplies can lead nations to see access to water as a matter of national security [Gleick, 1993]. Competition over the finite resource has led to conflict as evidenced by decades-long tensions between India and Pakistan (Indus River), Egypt and Sudan (Nile River), or Turkey and Syria (Euphrates River). Furthermore, water conflicts are common at the inter-sector, inter-community, inter-farm, inter- (and … |
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While resource and environmental factors are playing an increasing role in water conflicts, it is difficult to disentangle the many intertwined causes of conflict [Gleick, 1993]. The characteristics that make water likely to be a source of strategic rivalry are: (1) the degree of scarcity, (2) the extent to which the water supply is shared by more than one region or state, (3) the relative power of the basin states, and (4) the ease of access to … |
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Mar 28, 2012 In 2000, 189 nations made a pledge, otherwise known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), „to free people from extreme poverty and multiple deprivations,“ by 20156. One Target within the MDGs is to „ reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.“7 In 2010, the UN Human Rights Council affirmed by consensus that the right to water and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate … |
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Mar 28, 2012 At the global scale, the overarching, global legal framework provided by the UN Convention on the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses establishes basic standards and rules for cooperation between watercourse states on the use, management, and protection of international watercourses [Loures et al., 2009]. Unfortunately, this Treaty has not yet come into force due to insufficient signatories (as of January 2012, Status: Signatories=… |
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In the following section, freshwater resource management is broken down at various geographical scales: global, regional/transboundary, national, and sub-national/ -basin & local. Problems / challenges/ limitations, solutions, and a case study on conflict resolution approaches are presented at each level. |
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Apr 03, 2012 There are 263 transboundary lake and river basins worldwide that cover nearly half of the Earth’s land surface, 145 nations, and account for an estimated 60% of global freshwater flow (see Table; [Cooley et al., 2009]). Though the majority of transboundary freshwater river basins cross just two nations, there are 21 river basins that are shared by five or more countries (see Table). The majority (about 70%) of transboundary basins are located between … |
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Apr 03, 2012 The UN Water program’s report on “Transboundary Water: Sharing Benefits, Sharing Responsibilities” [UN Water, 2008] outlines seven key components to ensure effective transboundary cooperation (text extracted and condensed below):
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Apr 11, 2012 Eva Hernandez, WWF Spain |
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Apr 03, 2012 Angela Klauschen, WWF International, Mediterranean Programme |
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Apr 11, 2012 |
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Apr 03, 2012 Ultimately, the management of water – from ensuring the delivery of basic services for citizens, for economic growth, and for maintaining healthy environments – is the responsibility of governments; however, as is often the case, water management is a low priority and poorly coordinated, which leads to water resources being over-committed and undervalued [Orr et al., 2009]. Rather than focusing on long-term planning, governments tend to respond with … |
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Apr 03, 2012 To ensure the long-term viability of a country, governments should plan and institutionalize competent responses to scarcity with robust demand management, a sound regulatory system, and efficient and flexible infrastructure [Orr et al., 2009]. By focusing on restoring river flow through a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder process of managing water withdrawal, water allocation mechanisms need to be developed that manage the use of the scarce … |
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Apr 03, 2012 Establishing a National System of Water Reserves in Mexico (Sergio Salinas & Eugenio Barrios, WWF Mexico) |
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Apr 03, 2012 WWF Report: Water Conflict – Myth or Reality Sub-National / -Basin & Local Freshwater Resource Management Gleick found that when conflicts arise, they are “more likely to occur on the local and regional level and in developing countries where common property resources may be both more critical to survival and less easily replaced or supplemented” [Gleick, 1993]. Cosgrove also found that water-related conflicts tended “to be at their most intense at the local level, between different sectors and stakeholders in direct competition over inadequate water … |
