Water scarcity is a major problem even in areas where there is plenty of rainfall. One set of approaches consists of measures to increase the availability of water, including 1 reducing use of water, such as by decreasing wasteful uses and increasing efficient uses. Subsaharan africa is the home to hundreds of millions of people who suffer from water scarcity issues 2. Since ethnic conflicts abound, and are escalating in contemporary africa, many have simply traced the root cause of armed conflicts to the multiethnic composition of african states. Groundwater is the best resource to tap to provide. The role of water has been growing in the last 21 century. The future of transboundary water disputes over the worlds longest river jack di nunzio research assistant colonial agreements. Colonial production, extraverted and coercive as it already was, was ruthlessly reorganized to produce record amounts of primary agricultural and. However, determining the regional impacts of climate change with any level of confidence is difficult. Conversely, the pacific institute has shown that while interstate i. Conflict land and water food and agriculture organization. Jan 31, 2012 climate change, rainfall, and social conflict in africa article pdf available in journal of peace research 491. General overview of the consequences of african water conflicts. In this rapidly changing world it is essential to understand that conflicts are unique and understanding a conflict is.
Climate change, rainfall, and social conflict in africa article pdf available in journal of peace research 491. Mining and oil production uses large amounts of water, and pollutes water resources, as a result of adding. However, disputes over water, whether scarce or abundant, do not always result in violence. There is also evidence of a shift in the nature of these conflicts, away from water disputes between nations and toward subnational and local violence over water access. Water stress in subsaharan africa council on foreign. Links between climate change, conflict and governance in. The growing risk of subnational water conflicts was. Natural resources, conflict, and conflict resolution. It has been experienced with a number of armed conflicts, ethnolinguistic disputes, religious radicalism where in it catches the attention of most developed nations including us for their strategic interest over the region. Colonial production, extraverted and coercive as it already was, was ruthlessly reorganized to produce record amounts of primary agricultural and mineral commodities for the imperial armies and economies. Coping with water scarcity in agriculture a global framework for action in a changing climate why a global framework for action on water scarcity in agriculture is needed the world is thirsty, because it is hungry water is essential for agricultural1 production and food security. Water diplomacy in the lake chad basin has had a turbulent history. The root causes of conflicts in the horn of africa. General overview of the consequences of african water.
Water conflict and cooperation in southern africa wiley online. As a result, the potential for waterbased conflicts to occur will continue to remain high and tensions will be increased, possibly to critical levels, when such. Coping with water scarcity in agriculture a global framework for action in a changing climate why a global framework for action on water scarcity in agriculture is needed the world is thirsty, because it is. Water conflict is a term describing a conflict between countries, states, or groups over an access to water resources. A lack of clean water increases the risk of diarrhoeal diseases as cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery, and other. Water conflict on the local, national, international, and global levels. Several possible approaches can prevent conflicts over water. Competition over natural resources, including water, is often viewed as a driver of conflict and has emerged as a key component in many current and past conflicts. Water scarcity can also lead to diseases such as trachoma an eye infection that can lead to blindness, plague and.
Earlier crude oil was regarded as the black gold, but nowadays, water is the blue gold. While conflict and violence come in many different shapes and. For nearly two decades, the pacific institute has been tracking, analyzing, and cataloging instances of conflict over water resources see box wb 3. Water remains a security concern for many countries, it has been used as a weapon in conflicts and water systems have often been targets within conflicts which have nothing directly to do with water. This report highlights looming water crises from 6 interrelated contexts. The climate change, the insufficient water management and overpopulation have been causing. Water has been both a source of conflict and a weapon used in conflicts, and water systems have been targets in conflicts started for a wide range of reasons. Avoiding conflicts over africas water resources avoiding conflicts over africas water resources peter j. It can also foment cooperation where mutual interest can be found.
Aug 03, 2006 subsaharan africa suffers from greater levels of water stress than many other regions in the world. Southern african water conflicts are they inevitable or preventable. Environmental scarcity renewable resources and con. Current conflicts in africa 2020 and examples information. It has been experienced with a number of armed conflicts, ethnolinguistic disputes, religious. Asia, africa and the middle east countries are meeting increasing water demand by building reservoirs and by. The objective of this paper is the analysis of water conflict and cooperation and. There is a great deal of excellent research in social sciences anthropology, geography, history, sociology, economics, human ecology. Water is vital to life and an incredibly essential resource. Sep 20, 2015 subsaharan africa is the home to hundreds of millions of people who suffer from water scarcity issues 2. Water is a necessity of life, and we use it for drinking, washing, agriculture, and industry. International water cooperation was the theme of this years world water day.
The common notion is that the multiethnic african state is inherently conflictual and therefore conflict is an intrinsic phenomenon of the multiethnic state. Conflicts over rights of passage, access to water, crop damage and poaching of local game have become more prevalent, leading to escalating violence. Oct 15, 2009 relation betw een natural resources and conflict in africa. From the arid pastoralist areas in the horn of africa to communi. Regional variations in three principal conflict trends are then presented for the central, east, west, and southern regions of africa. Subsaharan africa suffers from greater levels of water stress than many other regions in the world. The term water conflict is used to describe tensions or disputes between states, countries, or people groups surrounding the utilization, consumption, or control of water resources. And as water resources dwindle, conflicts over water intensify.
Links between climate change, conflict and governance in africa. Surface water sources are often highly polluted, and infrastructure to pipe water from fresh, clean sources to arid areas is too costly of an endeavor. The world health organization who has reported that more than 40 percent of the global water stressed population lives in subsaharan africa 3. Disputes and conflicts over water in africa semantic scholar. Eight macrocomparative perspectives on conflict trends in africa are charted in order to establish a fairly comprehensive picture and understanding of the background of the situation in the region in mid2005. Nuno ventura water conflict and cooperation in southern africa. East africa has the largest variety and number of pastoral societies. Mar 19, 2019 these figures hide significant disparities.
The database, updated in january 2019, presents the information as a chronology and map. Available climate change evidence for africa suggests increasingly scarce water resources in central africa, declining and failing agricultural yields in the horn of. In bolivia, south africa, ghana, the philippines and indonesia violent struggles have broken out against companies seeking to privatize water. It describes a number of common arguments regarding possibilities for the emergence of violent conflict in and among basin states, particularly those states party to the okavango river basin commission okacomangola, botswana and namibia.
Water problems can lead to food shortages, energy crises, and ultimately economic and governmental instability. One set of approaches consists of measures to increase the availability of water, including 1. More specific aims included providing eu polic ymakers with fresh inpu t of crosssectoral info rmation on the li nk. The united nations world water assessment programme estimates that every individual needs 2050 liters 21. Regional political instability and internal armed conflicts within the majority of the involved countries further amplify the. Vogt 1 executive summary of part i western cape province in south africa is going through a severe. Some 85% of africas water resources are comprised of large river basins that are shared between several countries. Marshall 2005 page 1 of 28 african regional trends in warfare and political instability the modern state system in subsaharan african1 hereafter referred to simply as. A true water war can be defined as an armed conflict that. Conflicts over resource shares occured in the wake of unilateral water infrastructure development. Experts say wise economic development focused on infrastructure and improved treaties on. The relationship between poverty, conflict and development. The pacific institute announces the posting of an online chronology of waterrelated conflicts from 1500 ad to the present on its subsidiary site, the chronology, which ultimately will be. Groundwater is the best resource to tap to provide clean water to the majority of areas in africa, especially rural africa, and groundwater has the benefit of.
Experts say wise economic development focused on infrastructure and improved treaties on water. Access to water in sufficient quantity and quality can drive competition where interests are perceived as incompatible. There is a pressing need to better understand water as it relates to all levels of conflict. Against a background formed by the availability and distribution of water and the likely trajectories of change in demand for water across the african continent, this. In subsaharan africa, only 24% of the population have.
Before tackling conflicts in africa one should first consider conflict in general. In an ongoing effort to understand the connections between water resources, water systems, and international security and conflict, the pacific institute initiated a project in the late 1980s to track and categorize events related to water and conflict, which has been continuously updated since. Hundreds and thousands of people have lost their lives due to conflicts and civil wars. A lack of clean water increases the risk of diarrhoeal diseases as cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery, and other water borne tropical diseases. There is a great deal of excellent research in social sciences anthropology, geography, history, sociology, economics, human ecology, and political science on conflicts over access to land and water resources in africa.
In this rapidly changing world it is essential to understand that conflicts are unique and understanding a conflict is the first step on the path to addressing it. With 90 percent of water in africa falling within 63 international river basin. It describes a number of common arguments regarding possibilities for the emergence of. Causes and possible solutions to water resource conflicts.
North africa was a crucial combat zone during both wars. Water became a commodity instead of a public good, leaving millions of poor people without access to safe drinking water and sanitation. On a global scale, half of the people who drink water from unsafe sources live in africa. Conflicts, companies, human rights and water a critical. The united nations recognizes that water disputes result from opposing interests of water. The main conflicts in africa during the next 25 years could be over that most precious of commodities water, as countries fight for access to scarce resources.
Water conflict in the middle east and north africa mena primarily deals with three major river basins. Water conflict in the middle east and north africa wikipedia. Below are some examples of current conflicts in nigeria. Presumably then, the conflicts are a unique mix of these similarities and differences. This message comes at a time of increased pressure to manage the political complications with the 60 transboundary rivers in continental africa, which serve threequarters of the continents. As a result, the potential for waterbased conflicts to occur will continue to remain high and. Causes and possible solutions to water resource conflicts in. Yet, from a historical and global perspective, africa has been no more prone to violent con. Mar 02, 2015 the horn of africa hoa has been mentioned as one of the most disputed regions of the globe. The root causes of conflicts in the horn of africa science. Water stress in subsaharan africa council on foreign relations. The horn of africa hoa has been mentioned as one of the most disputed regions of the globe. In subsaharan africa, only 24% of the population have access to safe drinking water, and 28% have basic sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households.
Peter gleik of the pacific institute categorises the basis of conflict over water as follows see article. This paper establishes the relationship between poverty, conflict and development pcd in analysing instability in the african continent. Imaginary and real conflicts over water there is a myth in some circles that the world is running out of freshwater. The impact of water conflicts on pastoral livelihoods 7 the case of wajir district in kenya context pastoralists are livestock herders found throughout africas arid regions, where they constitute. Libyan civil war 2014date this is the second civil war in libya and it is an ongoing conflict among rival factions who are seeking to take control of the territory and crude oil of libya. Fierce competition for fresh water may well become a source of conflict and wars in the future. The impact of water conflicts on pastoral livelihoods 7 the case of wajir district in kenya context pastoralists are livestock herders found throughout africas arid regions, where they constitute between 12 and 16 per cent of the total population. Water conflicts tend to arise as an outcome of other social issues. In this region, only an estimated 44 percent of the urban population and 24 percent of the rural population have adequate sanitation 4. More than 1,400 new dams or water diversion projects are planned or already under construction, fueling the potential for increased water conflict between some countries. Water brief 3 water and conflict events, trends, and analysis 20112012 peter h. A true water war can be defined as an armed conflict that is fought between countries with the sole or primary purpose of gaining access to water, or where water forms the central weapon of offence. The impact of water conflicts on pastoral livelihoods. Global hotspots for potential water conflict identified.