Dear climate-l community,
Climate change and environmental degradation are
altering the regional and seasonal availability and quality of water.
The resulting competition over water use may lead to conflict and
sometimes violence. On the occasion of the
World Water Week that starts on 26 August in Stockholm, we compiled 10 case studies from the interactive
ECC Factbook that analyse the linkages between climate change, water and conflict. They look at various pathways
through which environmental factors and security are connected and outline different attempts to find peaceful solutions.
1. Dispute over water in the Nile Basin
The Nile basin features significant conflict over
access to and rights over the Nile water resources among its eleven
riparian countries. Since 2007, diverging interests between upstream and
downstream countries have brought negotiations
to a standstill, pitting Egypt (and, to a lesser extent, Sudan) against
upstream riparians, especially Ethiopia... Read more:
http://bit.ly/NileWaterDisp
2. Water shortages and public discontent in Yemen
As a consequence of severe mismanagement, Yemen’s
water availability is declining dramatically. The impacts on the people
are unequally distributed, and corruption and nepotism are at the core
of this imbalance. This has increasingly frustrated
the disadvantaged, with water scarcity playing a role in fuelling the
political and security crisis in Yemen. Read more:
http://bit.ly/YemenWater
3. Turkey, Syria and Iraq: conflict over the Euphrates-Tigris
The Euphrates-Tigris Basin is shared between Turkey,
Syria and Iraq, with Iran comprising parts of the Tigris basin. Since
the 1960s, unilateral irrigation plans altering the flows of the rivers,
coupled with political tensions between the
countries, have strained relations in the basin. Disputes have
prevented the three governments from effectively co-managing the basin’s
rivers. Read more:
http://bit.ly/EuphTigrWater
4. Transboundary water disputes between Afghanistan and Iran
Afghanistan’s efforts to harness the waters of the
Helmand River and the Harirud to support post-conflict reconstruction
and development have alarmed Iran. The Iranian government perceives
Afghanistan’s agricultural expansion and dam construction
activities as threats to water security in its eastern and northeastern
provinces. Read more:
http://bit.ly/conflictAI
5. Dam projects and disputes in the Mekong River Basin
The Mekong basin is witnessing an enormous expansion
of dam-building for hydropower generation. This has led to diplomatic
tensions as countries downstream of the dams fear the negative impacts
they may bring about, from greater flooding
to seasonal lack of water. The Mekong River Commission’s (MRC)
effectiveness in resolving these tensions has so far been limited due to
its lack of enforcement powers and China’s reluctance to join as a full
member. Read more:
http://bit.ly/ECCMekong
6. Dispute over water in the Cauvery Basin in India
The long-standing conflict over water from the
Cauvery River between the Indian states Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has
recently resurfaced in the context of drier climate conditions. The
implications are not only legal battles, but also violent
protests following decisions to alter water distribution between the
two states. Read more:
http://bit.ly/CauveryWater
7. Droughts, livestock prices and armed conflict in Somalia
Frequent droughts in Somalia put significant
pressures on pastoral livelihoods. Droughts cause herders to sell more
of their livestock than they would under normal conditions, resulting in
plummeting livestock prices and deteriorating rural
incomes. Widespread poverty and lack of economic alternatives, in turn,
provide incentives for illicit activities and for joining armed groups
such as Al Shabaab. Read more:
http://bit.ly/ECCSomalia
8. Turkey-Armenia: Water cooperation despite tensions
The Turkish-Armenian case is a prominent example of
how two co-riparians can put their tensions aside, work together in
their mutual interest, and share transboundary waters equitably. Read
more:
http://bit.ly/TurkArmCoop
9. Security implications of growing water scarcity in Egypt
Egypt is currently using more water than its internal
renewable resources supply. Water stress in Egypt is expected to
further increase in the future as a result of rapid population growth,
rising temperatures and increasing water consumption.
If not properly dealt with, growing freshwater scarcity will put severe
strains on Egypt’s economy and make the country more vulnerable to
renewed internal strife. Read more:
http://bit.ly/EgyptWater
10. Water privatisation in Cochabamba, Bolivia
In 2000, privatisation of the drinking water in
Cochabamba incurred violent protests and escalated into the so-called
‘Water War of Cochabamba’. Eventually, the city’s water was
renationalised, however, dwindling water supplies induced by
global climate change, over-consumption and technological deficiencies
continue to heavily strain the city of Cochabamba. Read more:
http://bit.ly/BoliviaWater
We hope this collection of resources is useful for your work and research.
Best regards,
|
Raquel Munayer
Project Assistant |
|
|
adelphi research gemeinnützige GmbH
Alt-Moabit 91, 10559 Berlin
Geschäftsführer:
Alexander Carius, Walter Kahlenborn, Mikael P. Henzler
Sitz: Berlin, AG Charlottenburg HRB 81753; UST ID: DE 813281567
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