Water and International Security: Definitions, History, and Future Risks

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Water and International Security Definitions,
History, and Future Risks

• Dr. Peter H. Gleick
• www.pacinst.org
• Pacific Institute, Oakland, California
• Tufts University
• February 2005

2
Water and Conflict Conclusions

• There is a long history of conflicts over fresh
  water.
• Such conflicts have taken many forms.
• The risks of water-related disputes are growing.
• But water can also be a cause for cooperation,
  negotiation, and agreement.

3
Key Concepts and Issues

• Environmental Security
• Water and conflict
• Water Wars
• International Rivers
• Shared watersheds/watercourses
• Environmental agreements and treaties

4
Environment and Security

• Outgrowth of the ending of the Cold War
  (mid-1980s)
• Outgrowth of the improved understanding of
  environmental issues
• Marked by a rich, albeit cantankerous political
  science debate
• Water piece enriched by diverse case studies.

5
Water and ConflictCritical Issues

• Fresh water is widely shared internationally.
• Half of all land area on Earth
• Over 260 international river basins
• There is growing competition for water.
• Rising populations
• Rising demand from all sectors
• International efforts to resolve water-related
  disputes are often inadequate.

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Water Wars? Or More Complex?

• Water as a goal
• Middle East (2700 BPE to present)
• Water as a weapon
• Han River, Korea Ataturk Dam
• Water systems as targets
• WWII, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Iraq
• Water in development disputes
• Apartheid SA, Cauvery River, Gabcikovo

Chronology of water conflicts www.worldwater.org
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Number of International River Basins, by
Continent
Continent International Basins
Africa 60
North/Central America 39
South America 39
Asia 51
Europe 72
Totals 261
Source Wolf et al. 1999
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Transboundary Rivers Shared by Five or More
States

• Danube 18
• Congo 13
• Niger 11
• Nile 10
• Zambezi 9
• Lake Chad 8
• Aral Sea 8
• Rhine 8
• Amazon 8

• Volta 6
• Jordan 6
• Mekong 6
• Tigris/Euphrates 6
• Kura-Araks 6
• Ganges/Brahmaputra 5
• Neman 5
• Vistula/Wista 5
• La Plata 5

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New Concerns/New Challenges?

• Water and economic development poverty,
  allocation.
• Subnational, state-to-state, ethnic, local
  disputes are all increasingly common.
• Water-related acts of terrorism.

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Subnational Water Conflicts Terrorism
Vaal Dam, South Africa, DWAF
Los Angeles Aqueduct, Alabama Gates Credit
G.D.Bain 1991
Meuse River
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Reducing the Risks of Water Conflicts

• Technical (scarcity)
• Improve efficiency of water use in all sectors
• Explore new supply options
• Economic (allocation)
• Reduce water subsidies re-evaluate rates
• Re-evaluate agricultural policies
• Institutional (management)
• Joint basin management
• Dispute resolution mechanisms
• Political
• Effective and comprehensive joint agreements
• Equitable water rights allocations and control

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The productivity of water use can be greatly
increased
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Economic Productivity of Water U.S.
14
Economic Productivity of Water Hong Kong
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Political Approaches Treaties

• Many specific international river basin treaties,
  e.g.,
• The Nile (the Sudan and Egypt)
• The Colorado (the U.S. and Mexico)
• The Jordan (Israel and Jordan)
• The Ganges/Brahmaputra (India and Bangladesh)
• Mixed success continued challenges

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Political Approaches General Principles of
International Water Law

• Obligation to Share Data
• Obligation to Resolve Disputes Peacefully
• Equitable Utilization of Water
• Prevention of Significant Harm
• Obligation to Notify and Inform
• Cooperative Management
• UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational
  Uses of International Watercourses (1997)

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Conclusions Water, Conflict, and Cooperation

• There is a long history of both conflict and
  cooperation over fresh water resources.
• New challenges are developing.
• Will our abilities to reach agreement and
  cooperation keep pace with the developing
  challenges?

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• Dr. Peter H. Gleick
• www.pacinst.org
• Pacific Institute, Oakland, California
• See also www.worldwater.org