Geoff Dabelko - Water Management as Conflict Management

Geoff Dabelko is the director of the Environmental Change and Security Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. In this presentation, Dabelko describes how water quality and quantity are declining in many parts of the world, posing acute problems for communities and governments. This crisis, along with high levels of interdependence on shared water resources, has led many members of the news media and some politicians to warn of imminent "water wars" between countries. Yet wars between nations over water have never occurred in modern history and are unlikely to take place in the future. Although tensions over water resources often lead countries to trade hostile words, such exchanges rarely escalate into full-fledged conflicts.

For more information on these issues, please visit: http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/ and http://www.wilsoncenter.org/ecsp

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[gorde80]

theres enough water in the great lakes alone for the whole world

[ricardovasa]

Interesting and somehow insightful information. I happen to work for an NGO that deals with water issues. Water topics may not unleash armed conflicts, but could trigger them

[morninglightmama]

Fantastic piece, Mr. Dabelko! I'm continuing to learn about this issue through your work.