Africa: Factbox-Regions Where Water Disputes Are Fuelling Tensions
24 July 2012
Disputes over water are common around the world, exacerbated by climate
change, growing populations, rapid urbanisation, increased irrigation and a
rising demand for alternative energy sources such as hydroelectricity.
Following are a few of the regions where competition for water from major
rivers systems is fuelling tension.
SOUTH ASIA
India is home to three major river systems -- the Ganges, Brahmaputra and
the Indus -- which support 700 million people. As an upstream nation, it
controls water flows to Bangladesh to the east and Pakistan to the west. The
Indus supplies some 80 percent of Pakistan's irrigated land.
India and Pakistan are both building hydropower dams in disputed Kashmir
along Kishanganga river. Pakistan fears India's dams will disrupt water
flows.
India, for its part, is concerned that China is building dams along the
Tsangpo river, which runs into India as the Brahmaputra.
CENTRAL ASIA
Central Asia is one of the world's driest places, where, thanks to 70 years
of Soviet planning, growing thirsty crops such as cotton and grain remain
the main source of income for most people.
Disputes over water use from the Syr Daria and Amu Daria rivers have
increased since independence in 1991. Problems are compounded by rising
nationalism and lack of progress on a regional approach to replace
Soviet-era systems of water management.
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan need more water for growing
populations and farming, while economically weaker Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
want more control for hydropower and irrigation.
Afghanistan, linked to Central Asia by the Amu Daria, is claiming its own
share of the water.
NILE BASIN
The countries of the Nile basin are Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia,
Eritrea, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and
Tanzania.
Egypt and Sudan control more than 90 percent of the Nile's waters due to
colonial-era and other treaties but others in the basin want a bigger share.
Demand for irrigation has risen, with millions of hectares leased for
large-scale farming. Dams have complicated access to water.
Water needs are expected to rise as the Nile basin population is projected
to reach 654 million by 2030, up from 372 million in 2005, according to UN
estimates.
TIGRIS-EUPHRATES RIVER SYSTEM
The Tigris-Euphrates basin is mainly shared by Turkey, Syria and Iraq, with
many Tigris tributaries originating in Iran.
Iraq, struggling with water shortages due to aridity and years of drought,
says hydroelectric dams and irrigation in Turkey, Iran and Syria have
reduced the water flow in both rivers.
Increasing desertification, especially in Iraq, is compounding problems. A
large amount of Euphrates' waters evaporate due to extreme heat.
Contamination from pesticides, discharge of untreated sewage and excess
salinity due to low water levels are all common.
Iraq, Syria and Iran want more equitable access and control from Turkey,
where almost 98 percent of Euphrates waters originate. Despite some
cooperation on common management, a final agreement has yet to be reached.
JORDAN RIVER BASIN
The river basin is highly stressed due to aridity in Jordan, Israel and
Palestinian Territories.
All three discharge untreated or poorly treated sewage. The Mountain Aquifer
- a key fresh water source for West Bank Palestinians and major Israeli
cities - is threatened by decades of over-exploitation and groundwater
pollution.
Despite efforts to cooperate, agreements to share water resources are
complicated by the long-stalled Middle East peace process. Israel dominates
the Palestinian water economy.
MEKONG RIVER BASIN
Most Mekong countries, especially China, have been planning and building
hydropower dams since the late 1980s.
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam argue that China diverts or stores more
than its fair share of water due to dam-building on the Upper Mekong.
There is growing concern about serious environmental damage to agriculture,
fisheries and food security for some 60 million people due to plans by Laos
and Cambodia to build more than 10 dams along the Lower Mekong.
Despite cooperation efforts by Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam through
the Mekong River Commission, national interests are getting in the way of
joint river management.
Sources: Reuters, AlertNet, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies,
Brookings Institute, International Crisis Group, Nile Basin Research
Programme, GRAIN, UNDP
(This factbox is part of a special multimedia report on water produced by
AlertNet, a global humanitarian news service run by Thomson Reuters
Foundation. Visit
http://water.trust.org)
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Received on Tue Jul 24 2012 - 11:26:07 EDT
