World Savvy Monitor

In this section...

• Hydrologic Interdependence
• Hot Spots for Water Tension
• Water as a Vehicle for Peace

Hydrologic Interdependence

Consider the following statistics that illustrate the concept of international hydrological interdependence:

• According to the World Development Movement, there are currently 263 river basins and countless aquifers that cross the political boundaries of two or more countries. 
• These trans-boundary systems cover half the world’s surface and cross the territories of 145 countries.
• For example, 19 countries share the Danube River, 13 share the Congo River, 11 share the Nile River, and 9 share the Amazon River.
• One hundred fifty-seven of the world’s shared river systems have no formal agreements among host nations for cooperation. 

Water stress also impacts domestic politics as populations within a country’s borders compete for scarce water resources.  This is vividly illustrated in the intense hydropolitics of the western US:  farmers and ranchers compete for water with growing urban areas; states are determined to cede as little control as possible to the federal government; growing urban populations and their water needs are forcing growers to turn to less water-intensive crops.

In China, the northern region of the country is home to two-fifths of the nation’s population and three-fifths of its crops.  This region receives only one-fifth of the country’s annual rainfall, however, and competes with the rest of the country for valuable water supplies.  Frequent droughts intensify this competition, as do demographic tensions created by the shifting population.

Hot Spots for Water Tension

The lack of water resources to meet the needs of a quickly growing population is a significant factor in the ongoing conflict in Darfur, Sudan.  Drought and desertification is causing competition among tribes attempting to make a living as either farmers or herders.  The conflict has been largely characterized as a racial conflict between Arabs and non-Arabs in the region, but since herders have traditionally been Arab and farmers non-Arab, there is a strong environmental component underlying the conflict.  As refugees spill across borders into countries like Chad, suffering from its own water scarcity issues, these underlying tensions are likely to spread.

In fact, Africa is home to considerable water stress, much of it crossing political boundaries and fragile states. 

• It is the second driest region in the world, after the Middle East. 
• Ninety percent of all surface water in Africa is located in trans-boundary river basins which serve 75% of the continent’s people.
• The Nile River countries of East Africa and the Horn of Africa where water is shared by 11 countries, but largely controlled by Egypt, is of particular concern.  This region is home to numerous countries with histories of violent internal conflict and cross-border tension, including Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda. 
• The rapidly disappearing Lake Chad is often cited as a textbook example of the perils which lie at the intersection of climate change, competition for water, and lack of trans-boundary cooperation.
• Kenya, a previously stable mainstay of the region, is currently experiencing both drought and political tensions; these are often a toxic combination.

The Middle East/North Africa is another area of great concern. 

• It is the world’s most water-scarce region, with only 1% of the world’s renewable freshwater supplies and 5% of the world’s population. 
• Specific examples of tensions in the region include:  disputes among Iraq, Syria, and Turkey over the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; and disputes among Israel, The Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan over the Jordan River.

Another prominent hot spot lies in Central and South Asia where India and Pakistan – long-time rivals, historic enemies, and nuclear powers – share the Indus River System, which also flows through the contested Kashmir region.  In 1960 the two countries signed the Indus Waters Treaty to regulate water use.  The treaty’s provisions have continued to ensure cooperation on water issues between the two countries, and it has become a symbol of the power of international cooperation over water.

Elsewhere in Asia, other rivals also share valuable headwaters and tributaries of major river systems:  China and Tibet (the Yangtze River originates in Tibet and flows into China); as well as North and South Korea (recent tensions ensued as a result of the North releasing waters from the Imjin River, killing South Koreans surprised by the unexpected surge).  In addition, the fragile republics of the former Soviet Union share waters in the Caucasus region, and Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan share the Aral Sea, which is rapidly shrinking due to Russian irrigation projects on the two rivers that feed the Sea. 

In North America, the Rio Grande River separating Mexico and the United States has been the subject of much hydrologic diplomacy.  The Rio Grande originates in the mountains of Colorado and flows south, eventually forming the border between Texas and Mexico.  It is an important water source to both countries, and has for many years been the focus of treaties and disputes regarding these treaties. 

Water as a Vehicle for Peace

There is considerable evidence that managing scarce water resources may actually be a vehicle for broader international cooperation, especially in conflict zones.

• An opinion article in the New York Times by Stanley Weiss notes that cooperation over water could lead to cooperation on land issues in the volatile Middle East, quoting Israeli peace negotiator Gilead Sher in saying that water has served as a “catalyst for regional peace” in an area deeply affected by water stress.
• As mentioned above, the successful Indus Waters Treaty between Pakistan and India suggests that rival states can cooperate over the vital issue of water.

Next:  Water, Politics, and Conflict:  International Waterways and Global Trade