Daria Manina
life@novostiphuketa.com
Shortcomings in water management hinder development progress throughout much of the world, indicates a Unesco report: ‘Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk’
Aside from urging better planning of distribution of the world’s most valuable resource, and reminding us that a billion people on the planet still do not have access to it, the report raises another interesting debate: Will there be a war on the planet over water?
According to the report, by mid-century, the consumption of fresh water in the agricultural sector will increase by another 20 per cent. This is related to the increased need for water production. Much of it goes to irrigate crops. For example, about 500 litres are required to obtain one kilo of wheat.
Another key factor in the equation is climate change, explains co-chairman of the Russian environmental group Ecozashita (Ecodefesa) Vladimir Sliviak.
“Climate change is an imbalance, a natural chaos... In areas that already get high rainfall, the level precipitation will increase further. Conversely, regions suffering from water shortage will get even less.”
However, not all experts agree that temperature fluctuations will have such an impact on certain regions. Above all, the problem is not the shortage of liquid as such, says ecologist Alexander Bogoliubov.
“There are places on Earth where there is water at a certain depth (aquifers) .. The issue is that some countries can not afford to dig wells a mile deep to access this water.”
Several countries are fully or partially in extremely arid territories, including Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and not to mention vast parts of China, Russia, Australia, the US and even South America.
But the problem affecting much of the free world can be solved, stress many experts. The simplest and most rational approach is to improve distribution management.
Some ecologists have proposed ways in which more water-wealthy countries can contribute. For example, countries like Brazil could be a kind of ‘donor’, while Russia might consider making water a source of income, similar to oil or gas.
The general director of the Center for Water Mains Testing, Yuri Gontchar shares his considerations. “Russian businessmen are currently studying the construction of water pipelines from the Caucasus region ... to transport water to Southern Europe and Africa. This makes sense and merits more study as a rational use of resources and redistribution, without the same consequences as diverting rivers or pumping water from rivers and lakes to other areas.”
The practice of changing the course of rivers is very popular now. China’s government has spent tens of billions of dollars in its river-course changing efforts in order to supply the north of the country. But of course, environmentalists believe that such a course of action will not be without consequences.
These problems of water supply and distribution exert considerable influences on the economy of countries. Water scarcity can lead to increased emigration fom poorer countries and, in the case of rich countries, an increased dependency on regions with large reserves of water resources.
Social instability is bound to lead to the emergence of conflicts, and such struggle for access to the life-enabling resource, may even result in armed opposition.