WW3 over WATER

I thought I might bring a topic up on whats the worlds most important thing."Water"

It is very apparent to many that water is indeed an important substance(and in some instances,commodity).It is the very need for human survival.Every human needs water.It is essential to our bodies needs and is what i call "human oil" for many reasons.It is said that humans can go on living for a week without food provided they have enough water.

Although water is so essential to human survival,it has been ignored in the media for quite sometime and overshadowed by "Oil".So why the topic of water?theres an abundent resource of water,right?well it depends.There is an abundent amound of water on earth,but as for freshwater,this is becoming increasingly questionable.This is due to global warming and its rising temperatures.

heres a Map of the current availability of freshwater,globally.
www.unep.org...

If the availability of freshwater were to decrease,this would evidently cause worldwide panic,and wars would begin to ignite.As I said,freshwater is highly important to human survival.The thought of it,being a limit resource,is unimaginable.

I believe,that if there ever was going to be WW3,it would be fought over water.We must remember that dispite oils importance to the everyday development of most nations,it is not essential to human survival.Humans can live without oild.But will be wiped out without water.

Will there be a conflict over freshwater in the future?




[edit on 21-3-2006 by blackSt33L]

i agree with what you say a gallon of water at the store costs more than gas. and a person can go weeks without food but only days without water.and if we do run low on drinking water only the rich nations will be able to afford desalinization plants.

Folks in developed countries should not die of thirst.

Even in an emergency, water can still be obtained. There many methods - filters, heat, and my favorite: the solar still. All you need is some clear plastic trash bag or something similar and the sun (or heat). You can get safe drinkable water from plants, urine, mud, ect.

Also, how is it that a gallon of water costs more than gas? Truly odd.

I personally don't think WW3 will be over water, but over power and/or oil.

This is a very interesting Thread you have started blackSt33L.

I have thought this to be a possibility for several years now. It is something that not many people have ever taken seriously as most people will think there is plenty of water in the world, even though most of it is salt water of course.

We have reached a point in this world where we will be forced to view our use of water very differently than we have ever had to before.

The world population is increasing at a massive pace and as you have stated water is the most important commodity for each human being, it is something we just cannot do without.

In the West especially we waste so much water. Leaking pipes, swimming pools, car wash, showering and bathing more than we need to and keeping gardens and parks looking good.

I remember some years ago there was nearly a war in the Middle East because one country accused another of taking too much water from a river (I think it was the River Jordan).

With global warming we are going to have even more problems with water. In those countries where the temperature increases the population will need more water either to drink themselves due to the increase in temperature, or to water crops to stop them drying up due to lack of rainfall. Some countries will get more rainfall and most of this will be lost in floods and running into rivers and back into the sea.

I would say there is a strong possibility that lack of clean water could lead to World War 3. The countries with the largest populations are generally the poorest countries and also the hottest and driest and as such could not afford to provide water for their populations by desalination (as this process is very expensive), they rely on water from rivers and wells and if these run dry they will have no choice but to get water in any way they can, even if this means going to war with their neighbours.

Here in England we face water rationing in the next few months due to the worst drought in 70 years in the south of the country.

Several years ago I met an American business man in the Caribbean who was there to sign a contract with the governments of the islands to buy all the spring water from mountain streams and springs, to bottle it and sell in the US and Canada. I thought he was crazy, but I remember him saying to me that water would become a very expensive commodity in our lifetime and that he would make a fortune.

I think that guy was probably right.

People we should not forget that its not just about freshwater going up all at once.If there was a significant decrease in freshwater,say 20%,this would cause a worldwide panic and possibly unrest.

Currently Canada,New Zealand,Suriname,and Norway hold the most pockets of freshwater.Russia(contains a large amount of freshwater in lake Bakal).I believe they should be held as significant nations.If any of these nations were to be in some sort of war,especiall Canada or Norway,this would cause a problem indeed.

People we should not forget that its not just about freshwater going up all at once.If there was a significant decrease in freshwater,say 20%,this would cause a worldwide panic and possibly unrest.

Currently Canada,New Zealand,Suriname,and Norway hold the most pockets of freshwater.Russia(contains a large amount of freshwater in lake Bakal).I believe they should be held as significant nations.If any of these nations were to be in some sort of war,especiall Canada or Norway,this would cause a problem indeed.

Canada could be a key player in this situation, they have a massive amount of water and a very small population compared to their massive size.

We could reach a time soon where there are pipelines planned to carry water from one nation to another, just like the present oil pipelines.

Suriname is a nation which has not been taken much notice of but that will probably change soon.

The flashpoint could come in India, especially if they experience drought situation. They have such a large population and rely on the annual monsoon rains for their drinking water. If the rains fail due to global warming, then they will be in trouble.

If the fresh water situation does get worse then the countries who do have plenty will beable to hold the rest of the world to ransom just like oil rich countries can right now.

I think that if there is a nuclear war, then it will definite cause water shortages, but I highly doubt it will be fought over water.

Originally posted by Barcs
I think that if there is a nuclear war, then it will definite cause water shortages, but I highly doubt it will be fought over water.

What if there is a nuclear war,and the radiation effects the water?Water can easily be contaminated.And considering nuclear wars are so wide spread...

fresh water will most definatly be fought over.

unfortunatly for us canadians, not only do we have the most fresh water, the us is starting to dry up really fast. along with the fact that per capita we waste the most water than any other people up here this is going to cause major conflicts in the future. its a funny thing though because we are having such problems with freshwater in our native communities. its absolutly horrendous. there are dozens of communities who have to boil water or even import it because their supply is so contaminated. its one of the few things im ashamed of to be canadian.


edit: is that paupa new guinea that looks so dry in the caribean? i wonder why its so low compared to its neighbour?

[edit on 24-3-2006 by darkside_ofthe_moon]

It's already starting here in new zealand.....govt is looking into making water a tradable commodity, read the article in the link:

stuff.co.nz...

Originally posted by darkside_ofthe_moon
unfortunatly for us canadians, not only do we have the most fresh water, the us is starting to dry up really fast.

We got the Great lakes we could drain them from our side. Whats Canada going to do invade US

But seriously like 70% of the planet is covered in water, This really ceased being a issue with the creation of the desalination plant. Saudi Arabia has been using it for years worst case their is no reason other countries couldnt do that aswell.

If it takes so much energy to desalinate sea water into fresh water, you'd think that maybe you could use nuclear power to power the pumps and the like and even feed large open canals to irrigate great proportions of the country side that isnt habitable at the moment due to its dryness.

An example I have here is in Australia. We have a large dry salt lake by the name of Lake Eyre - possibly some of you knwo about it and it's pretty bloody huge. Anyway, it'd go for many years as being empty and dry and scientist have found a link between between the dryness of this lake and lond dry spells in the south-eastern areas of Australia as we are experiencing now.

Now, at times in the past when there has been large rainfall and Lake Eyre fills with water, the increased amounts of evaporation from this Lake eventuates into above average rainfall over the southern states.

If we were able to run and supply large canals of fresh water and irigate and farm and forest the central areas of Austrtalia that are currently desert areas, then they would themselves alter the climates by keeping in more moisture, promoting more rain and the rest.

Correct me if Im wrong, but couldnt you also genetically engineer trees to grow at a much faster rate with less water?

This would help to change the landscapes of arid areas and bring in more moisture, plant and wildlife, help the climate and stop errosion on the vast scale that some farming and deforestion has currently cause.

melbourne_militia

Originally posted by sanse_nz
It's already starting here in new zealand.....govt is looking into making water a tradable commodity, read the article in the link:

stuff.co.nz...

I find that strange.NZ should have enough pockets of freshwater down in its Southern Alps to deal with this situation.Also they should posses financial means to deal with this situation.

Originally posted by Melbourne_Militia
If it takes so much energy to desalinate sea water into fresh water, you'd think that maybe you could use nuclear power to power the pumps and the like and even feed large open canals to irrigate great proportions of the country side that isnt habitable at the moment due to its dryness.

An example I have here is in Australia. We have a large dry salt lake by the name of Lake Eyre - possibly some of you knwo about it and it's pretty bloody huge. Anyway, it'd go for many years as being empty and dry and scientist have found a link between between the dryness of this lake and lond dry spells in the south-eastern areas of Australia as we are experiencing now.

Now, at times in the past when there has been large rainfall and Lake Eyre fills with water, the increased amounts of evaporation from this Lake eventuates into above average rainfall over the southern states.

If we were able to run and supply large canals of fresh water and irigate and farm and forest the central areas of Austrtalia that are currently desert areas, then they would themselves alter the climates by keeping in more moisture, promoting more rain and the rest.

Correct me if Im wrong, but couldnt you also genetically engineer trees to grow at a much faster rate with less water?

This would help to change the landscapes of arid areas and bring in more moisture, plant and wildlife, help the climate and stop errosion on the vast scale that some farming and deforestion has currently cause.

melbourne_militia

Yes,this may be possible.I believe science may help in developing more freshwater.But the question is,is freshwater abundent?

Iv seen that lately over the past couple of years,many lakes have been decreasing in size significantly.If you look at the Aral sea in central asia,the black see in the middle east,and the great salt lake in Utah,they have decreased in size.This is a very scary pictures.Alse signs point to the caspian sea, and the nile as decreasing in size in the future.

Im not trying to paint another grim doomsday predictions.These are hard point facts that people should take note of.Yet many governments dont take this seriously because oil overshadows these facts.

Originally posted by blackSt33L

Originally posted by sanse_nz
It's already starting here in new zealand.....govt is looking into making water a tradable commodity, read the article in the link:

stuff.co.nz...

I find that strange.NZ should have enough pockets of freshwater down in its Southern Alps to deal with this situation.Also they should posses financial means to deal with this situation.

I agree, and think we are in a fine state to handle the water crisis that looms but I think the government are trying to get in before things get tough......conserve, is the key. Make it precious now before it becomes the most sought after commodity in the world. Perhaps, dunno, just a theory.

Hey guys

Just got off from watching the news.Apperently a great large freshwater lake in Chad(Sahara)has decreased to less that half its size.

Many are suffering appaerently.Many who depend on the lake as a source of income and survival are taking a real beating.They suspect its got to do with global warming.Iv been seen quite afew stories on freshwater shortages lately.Im beginning to wonder whether the media is over exaggerating on this topic of global warming or whether its really starting to take its first toll over earth.

Whatever it might be,this topic seems to be gaining interest slowly but increasingly.I will try to get a link to the story.

blackSt33L

I think this is probably the Lake they are talking about.

You can see how the area has declined.

Its taken from google earth.

Also if you google in on the Great Lakes they seem to be declining also.
I think that subject was brought up before on another thread recently.

[edit on 27/3/06 by Jamesmichael]

There was a thread on ATS about that lake. If I remember correctly its shared by four different countries and theres alot of blaming going around that one country or another is ... Over pumping water compared to the others. I forgot what country is often accused of secretly pumping out large amounts of water for farming or what not.

LINK

LINK2

Thats where the real threat of Water wars is IMHO. When more then one country has claims to the same water source and the other takes more then what the other sees as thier fair share.

For example say there is county X and Y. Both countries depend greatly on a river that goes through both countries. Country X is farther up stream and decideds to dam the river to meet growing energy needs. That river shrinks to a trickle for country Y and greatly effects peoples lives there.

Wouldnt be a bad spark for a war. Wars have started over less, Thats the real threat of "water wars " those types of cases IMHO.

[edit on 27-3-2006 by ShadowXIX]

Looks like you got to it before me.Yea that is the lake.Clearly the green area was once where water flowed.Thats a huge loss.I wonder how a lake like that maintained itself in the sahara in the first place?

Might want to take alook at whats happening to these lakes:
www.cawater-info.net...

www.grid.unep.ch...

images.google.com...://www.ntimages.com/Israel/Dead-Sea/dead-sea-sat.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ntimages.com/Dead-sea-tns.htm&h=4

I apologise for the long link.

These images are interesting though.I really hope they find a way to reverse this situation.


[edit on 27-3-2006 by blackSt33L]