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Water!

Water!  We all need it, rich or poor and wherever we might live out there in the big, wide world.     It is already evident in certain areas of the world that nations are doing whatever they can to secure the ready accessibility to water.   As but one example, think Israel in cornering the supply of water in the Jordan Valley.

Two reports out today again highlight the critical importance of water, for a variety of reasons, political and otherwise.

First, from "No Water, No Food" on Dawn.com:

"Water is a basic necessity of life, yet it remains inaccessible for a large part of the world’s population. At present, almost one fifth of the global population (about 1.2 billion people) live in areas which are water scarce and a quarter live in developing countries that face water shortages. Globally the situation is getting worse due to the increase in population and the need for more water for agriculture, industry and household use to meet the needs of the increasing population. With the existing climate change scenario, it is predicted that almost half of the world population will be living in water stressed areas by 2030."

Secondly, this Report from the Defence Intelligence Agency done for Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, in essence concludes:
  • We assess that during the next 10 years, water problems will contribute to instability in states important to US national security interests. Water shortages, poor water quality, and floods by themselves are unlikely to result in state failure. However, water problems— when combined with poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation, ineffectual leadership, and weak political institutions— contribute to social disruptions that can result in state failure.
  •  We assess that a water-related state-on-state conflict is unlikely during the next 10 years. Historically, water tensions have led to more water-sharing agreements than violent conflicts. However, we judge that as water shortages become more acute beyond the next 10 years, water in shared basins will increasingly be used as leverage; the use of water as a weapon or to further terrorist objectives also will become more likely beyond 10 years.

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