by
Jim Pinto
In the US, we worry about running out of oil. But we
should be worrying about another limited natural resource: water. A water crisis
is threatening many parts of the country. Water has become so contentious nationwide
that more than 30 states are fighting with their neighbors over it; some up to the
supreme court level.
Droughts make matters worse. But the real problem isn't
shrinking water levels - it's population growth. Over the next four decades, America
will have 120 million more people, the equivalent of one new person every 11 seconds.
More people will put a huge strain on our water resources.
The fear is that as populations grow and development
spreads, vicious battles will erupt between water-rich and water-poor states and
countries, particularly in major river basins where upstream populations control
the flow of downstream water.
In the US, we've traditionally engineered our way out
of water shortages by diverting more from rivers, building dams or drilling groundwater
wells. But many rivers, including the Colorado and the Rio Grande, already dry up
each year. The dam-building era from the 1930s to the 1960s tamed so many rivers
that only 60 in the country remain free-flowing. Meanwhile, we're pumping so much
water from wells that the levels in aquifers are plummeting. We're running out of
technological fixes.
Viable solutions include desalination of ocean water,
reuse of municipal waste and aggressive conservation strategies. But none of these
is a cure-all. Desalination is expensive, burns energy and generates waste. Reclaiming
water has a major "yuck" factor, but it's also quite expensive, requiring a set
of pipes that is completely separate from the drinking-water system. Conservation
does work, but it's not enough.
If the current rates of growth in supply and demand
continue, then water will become a very scarce resource. When I was in India recently,
there were BIG strikes between neighboring states over new laws that changed water
rights. As water becomes more and more scarce in populated areas, conflicts will
inevitably be the appropriate response to water shortages.
Are we heading for an era in which rivers and lakes
and aquifers become national security assets that are fought over? With water availability
shrinking across the Middle East, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, violent conflict
between states is increasingly likely. Major government agencies, including the
CIA, have already raised the specter of future "water wars".
As the world's population grows, competition for food,
water and energy will increase, brewing a "perfect storm". But, that's another story
which we'll save for another eNews.
Cheers,
Jim Pinto
jim@jimpinto.com
San Diego, CA. USA
