Water Wars
November 22nd, 2009 | by noel |It looks like “Water Wars” are heading to your local planet.
There are two types:
LOCALISED WATER WARS
Two examples:
1) The “Bolivian Water Wars“. (In Bolivia civil disobedience prevented Bechtel from privatizing the water supply. Yes that’s right – Bechtel – the same company that partnered with McConnell Dowell to work with Meridian Energy on the now failed $750m Project Aqua hydroelectricity project on the Waitaki River in NZ. As an aside I wonder whether the current ETS rules means we will be subsidsing Bechtel in NZ??).
2) Nestle’s Water Battles in Michigan – Where Nestle took advantage of the “rule of capture.” According this law, “ground water is the private property of the owner of the overlying land” and they “have the right to capture the ground water beneath their land.” It is also known as the ‘law of the biggest pump’ because the landowner with the largest pumping capacity “can dry up the adjoining landowner’s well.” (Isn’t it comforting to know more about how one of Fonterra’s biggest customers operates in other parts of the world. And a great example for Canterbury to follow – hell who needs a public debate!)
INTERNATIONAL WATER WARS
Two examples:
1) Pakistan and India – Melting glaciers coupled with historical differences are raising tensions. Both countries maintain arsenals of nuclear weapons. (I’ll leave you to come to your own conclusions about what is possible / likely there).
2) Israel, Palestine and Jordan – Israel, Jordan, Palestine Syria and Lebanon share the waters of the Jordan River and its source tributaries. Attempts to use the water for different projects by different countries have resulted in constant friction.
For more information check out:
Blue Gold: World Water Wars – Wars of the future will be fought over water as they are over oil today, as the source of human survival enters the global marketplace and political arena. Corporate giants, private investors, and corrupt governments vie for control of our dwindling supply, prompting protests, lawsuits, and revolutions from citizens fighting for the right to survive. Past civilizations have collapsed from poor water management. Can the human race survive?
Flow: for love of water – Water is the very essence of life, sustaining every being on the planet. ‘Flow’ confronts the disturbing reality that our crucial resource is dwindling and greed just may be the cause.
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