A war for water: real threat or exaggeration

If someone should ask me what is the most important thing that human beings have achieved in the lifestyle of modern life, I would answer without any doubt having water installed in our houses.

Every day we cook, flush the toilet, take a shower, clean the house, wash our clothes or water our plants just by opening the tap at home. But are we really aware of the privilege this is in our daily lives? I don’t think so. Even when a pipe is broken, we feel deeply frustrated. And as soon as it is fixed, we take it for granted again.

In addition to health issues, water is a must for industry, agriculture, and animal production.

However, water reserves are a fixed resource. Meanwhile the population continues to grow significantly.

International institutions calculate that by 2030 the demand for water will have increased by 40%, which the planet will not be able to supply.

Another important problem is the shortage of water that many countries suffer, especially some in Africa, such as Tanzania, Ethiopia or Kenya. We might think that the cause of this lack of water in the countries mentioned is the climate with its scarcity of rain and extremely dry seasons. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa report related “ hydric-stress” to poverty, government corruption, lack of infrastructure and low agricultural production.

These two situations are alarming to international organizations, who warn very seriously about the threat of conflicts that the scarcity of water can provoke. The Pacific Institute, a non profit group, has reported in a recent survey that war is a real possibility in Africa, Middle East and Asia. But nobody in a global world is going to be saved in this scenario. The US Department of State has pointed out this situation as a threat to national security.

Wars for water are not new. Examples like Bolivia in 1999 and some tribal conflicts are currently a reality. These cause the flight of thousands of refugees hoping to escape death. Protecting our borders against them might be one solution, but facing the future might be a better one.

                                                                                                 Mrs. Raga