Water Scarcity vs. Water Security
By Dr Arvind Kumar
Water scarcity has become a key global issue for the United States because of its potential to fuel armed conflicts in regions such as the Middle East or between nuclear rivals such as India and Pakistan. Maria Otero, US under secretary for democracy and global affairs told journalists during a visit to Brussels on 4 November this year: “Worldwide, water is not only a problem for billions of people who lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation, it is also an issue of security as we see scarcity emerging more and water becoming potentially a source of conflict.” “And that raises a security issue for everyone,” she warned.
Potential areas where water scarcity could degenerate into armed conflict include the Middle East, the Nile or the Mekong River delta, Otero said. Another hotspot is the Indus River, which is shared by Pakistan and India – both countries that have stockpiled arsenals of nuclear weapons. In total, Otero said there were more than 260 river basins around the world that are shared between countries. “We believe it is very important to help those countries develop agreements and develop ways to address the water that they share.” She also expressed interest in suggestions to link trade agreements with sound water management in partner countries.
