Water, Peace, and War: Confronting the Global Water Crisis

by Brahma Chellaney

This pioneering and authoritative study considers the profound impact of the growing worldwide water stress on international peace and security, as well as possible ways to mitigate the crisis. Although water is essential to sustaining life and livelihoods, geostrategist Brahma Chellaney argues that it remains the globe's most underappreciated and undervalued resource. One sobering fact is that the retail price of bottled water is already higher than the international spot price of crude oil. But unlike oil, water has no substitute, raising the specter of water becoming the next flashpoint for conflict.

Water war as a concept may not mesh with the conventional construct of warfare, especially for those who plan with tanks, combat planes, and attack submarines as weapons. Yet armies don't necessarily have to march to battle to seize or defend water resources. Water wars--in a political, diplomatic, or economic sense--are already being waged between riparian neighbors in many parts of the world, fueling cycles of bitter recrimination, exacerbating water challenges, and fostering mistrust that impedes broader regional cooperation and integration. The danger is that these water wars could escalate to armed conflict or further limit already stretched food and energy production.

Writing in a direct, nontechnical, and engaging style, Brahma Chellaney draws on a wide range of research from scientific and policy fields to examine the different global linkages between water and peace. Offering a holistic picture and integrated solutions, his book promises to become the recognized authority on the most precious natural resource of this century and how we can secure humankind's water future.

Genres: Politics, Environment, Nonfiction, Geology, Science, Economics

424 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2013

Reviews

[Mohammed omran]

الكتاب يرسم صراع المياه في المستقبل مابين 230-و2050 وكيف ان المياه العذبه ستكون غاليه ومهمه

يتناول الكتاب قضية الصراع على المياه في المناطق الجافة وشبه الجافة باعتبارها مصدرا محتملا للحرب سواء بين الدول وبعضها البعض أو داخل حدود الدولة
ذاتها. يعود المؤلف إلى نماذج من التبت، الجولان، كردستان، دجلة والفرات، كشمير ، ووادي فرغانة. وفي كل هذه الحالات فإن الصراع ينتهي عادة إلى المعادلة الصفرية التي يخسر فيها الطرفان كل شىء. وبعد أن كانت الدول تنخرط فيما سبق في سباق التسلح أصبحت بعض الدول الآن تتسابق – في ظل الانفجار السكاني في عديد من الدول – في سباق “بناء السدود على الأنهار”، وهو ما يُنبئ بعواقب كارثية. ويضرب الكتاب أمثلة للمدن التي ستصبح مدن أشباح بعد نضوب المياه منها، وأقربها صنعاء التي ستلقى مصير مدينة “فتح بور” في الهند التي هُجرت لشح المياه فيها. وهو نفس المصير الذي ستلقاه مدن عربية أخرى تعيش على المياه الجوفية المعرضة للنضوب بحلول منتصف القرن الحالي، وفي مقدمتها دبي وأبو ظبي، والمدن الليبية في طرابلس وبنغازي وسرت ومصراته. وسيكون هناك صراع على المياه حتى في الدول الأوربية بل وبين الولايات المتحدة وبعضها البعض خاصة بين مدن تتقاسم موارد مياه مشتركة مثل لوس أنجلس ولاس فيجاس، وبين ولايات مثل فلوريدا وجورجيا وألباما. ويعود المؤرخ إلى أمثلة من التاريخ كان سوء إدرة الموارد المائية عاملا مهما في سقوط حضارات مثل الحضارة السومرية التي أدى غدق وتملح التربة إلى انهيارها. كما يتاول الكتاب قضية تهديد عجز المياه ليس على مستوى كمية التصريف فحسب بل على مستوى جودة المياه أخذا في الاعتبار أن اكثر من نصف أنهار العالم يعاني من التلوث.

[Souvik Khamrui]

An Informative, insightful & intriguing study. Rising food production, energy generation, water-intensive industries & water guzzling machines for the ever burgeoning population put the world on the threshold of water scarcity. Severe water conflicts are looming large on the horizon if not already started. Over exploitation of ground water beyond replenishment limit, environmental degradation by anthropogenic activities, rapid urbanization, climate change are wreaking havoc on water resources. Efficient water management at every level, cooperation among co-riparian states in trans-boundary river basins & aquifers, judicious extraction of ground water, re-use of waste water, improvement in water efficiency and infrastructure and above all, reining in insatiable materialistic demands of human beings for luxurious life-style are the plausible way outs to mitigate the water crisis.

[Harsh Ray]

A thorougly researched and lucidly book that makes impressive reading. The author weaves the big picture by blending materials from the social and natural sciences in a manner suitable for both the general reader and the specialist. This book will probably rank as the best in the market on the global geopolitics of water resources.

[Mills College Library]

333.91 C516 2013

[Jagatjit]

This book can be summarized in a few lines.

First, just like in the past, wars will be fought for resource acquisition as against what Huntington had predicted in his Clash of Civilization book. Second, water is becoming more precious than any other resources; even oil. Hence, water is going to dictate next geopolitical future of the world.

That's it!

[Brian Chian]

A must read book for anyone interested in the global water crisis and how it can be contained.