Water Conflicts around the globe and areas that may become confrontational

1. Flashpoint
A2 Geography

2. Learning Objectives
• To understand the concept that water
scarcity can lead to conflict
• Water insecurity can lead to political
insecurity

3. Why we fight
• Rising demand from rising pop’n and
economic growth in areas that are
politically unstable
• International agreements, disputes and
treaties reflect the urgency of the these
situation

4. The Players
• There are many players in water conflicts
however there are the usual suspects:
• WTO
• TNC
• UN

5. WTO and TNC
• As countries drive for economic growth
there demand for water increases
• Many developing countries have benefited
from aid to improve water provision
• Riparian people are given a voice and
guidelines are drawn up
• However this is not always the case

6. • WTO encourage countries to open up to private
investment in return for debt relief
• Countries wishing to develop need to develop their water
provision
• They turn to private companies
• Water becomes business as infrastructures built by
TNC’s e.g. Veolia/Vivendi
• Consumer now have to pay more
• Potential for water riots grows

7. UN
• 2000 – World Water Assessment
Programme
• Monitors changes in demand and the
chance or likelihood of increased tensions
• Their role is to find peaceful solutions
• It has done this quite well.
• Between 1948 – 1998 only 43 ended with
military action (18 involving Israel)

8. TNC
• Annual profits for the water industry are
about 40% of the oil industry and rising
Company Customer Countries Profits
s in of
Millions Operation
Suez 125 40 $5 bill
Veolia/Vivendi 110 50 $608 mill
Bechtel – 140 50 $31.4 bill
United Utilities

9. The Middle East
• The Middle East and N. Africa is one of the
driest places on the planet
• Has 1% of freshwater for 5% of global
pop’n
• Amount varies between 1200m3 /yr in Iran
to 200m3 /yr in Jordan
• By 2025 there will be a forecasted average
of only 500m2 over the area.
• UK = 1695m3 USA = 2900m3

10. Reasons
• What do you think are the reasons?
• Pop’n growth
• Increasing Affluence
• Irrigation develp't in farming
• Groundwater extracted faster than it is
replenished
• Fossil reserves used to satisfy farmers
needs.
• Farmers use 89% of all water

11. Pressure
• 1991 UN Secretary general stated
“The next war in the middle east will not be
about politics but over water”
REASONS
• An Overall scarcity of water
• Declining oil reserves leading to reduced
financing of economic develop't
• Rising youthful pop’n

12. Desalination
• Many countries in Middle East use this
expensive method to create a large supply

13. HYC
• Farmers rely on High yield crops which
consume vast amounts of water
• Turkey and Israel use the improved
productivity to fuel economic develop’t
• These require access to rivers, which flow
through neighbouring countries
• These impact on countries like
Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.

14. Turkey and Israel
• Euphrates and Tigris originate in Turkey
• Over used is cutting supplies off to Syria
and Iraq due to a GAP Scheme
• The 6 day war 1967 was a direct impact of
threats to Israel’s water supply as Other
states tried to destroy Israel’s National
Water Carrier project

15. • Bombing of Lebanese pipelines in 2006 by
Israel highlighted growing tensions in the
region.
• See Case Study on Turkey and Israel.

16. Activity
• Using pages 69 – 71 decide who the
players are. Who is in favour of the
scheme and why and who is against it and
why.