U.S. Intelligence Report Warns of Global Water Tensions
Summary:
It seems now that the lack of drinkable water in some
countries is not only a health crisis, but a political one too. Overpopulation
leads to a lack of enough drinking water to support a population, and rapid
climate change causes many key rivers to flood. Along with poor management of
what little usable water there is, and these problems cause the countries in
North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, to break into conflict. Structures
once used to positively affect a region, such as irrigation and dams, are now
used to keep key water sources out of reach from competition. The already
deteriorating state of water is expected to continue to decline in the next ten
years. At this rate, facilities such as desalination plants are feared to be
targets of terrorist attack. In already impoverished nations, this could lead
to irreparable economic and political failure.
Opinion/Reflection:
This kind of ties in with what we learned in Global Studies
about Africa. There have always been many hardships and conflict for the
continent due to its complicated past. After the Europeans left and African
countries gained independence, most did not know the first thing about
governing themselves, and that is shown by the poor management of their water
supply. Even though the situation seems like it could only get worse quickly at
this time, I believe these countries are important to the Unites States, and we
will not just sit back and watch. The U.S will mostly likely take action soon,
but I am curious as to how we will take action.
Questions:
1.
Will the U.S. get involved in this issue? If so
in what ways could we lend help?
2.
What factors are causing this deteriorated state
of water in these regions?
3.
Are other places in the world likely to
experience similar problems with their water supply? If so, what kinds of
problems?
4.
What economic benefits do these countries gain
by cutting of their rivals’ water supply?
Opinion:
ReplyDeleteThis article is about how the water in third world countries is getting really hard to find. I think that America should do something about this. I'm glad we have so much that we don't have to worry about things food and water. It's for that exact reason that we should help other countries have this kind of security. We should do our best to help families in these countries have as much water as they need and protect their facilities or at least train them to protect themselves.
Answer to a question:
2. The thing that is causing this amount of drinkable water is two things. First off the amount of water there is being consumed to fast by the people there. Second, Pollution of this water is causing there to be less and less drinking water. These two factors are what causes the water levels to go down to what they are at now.
Opinion:
ReplyDeleteI knew that the situation of drinkable water shortage in Africa was bad, but I didn't know that it was this bad. I knew that due to the severity of the climate that water was generally unavailable at the surface, and that there are very few places where the water gets cleaned due to poverty, but I did not know that the governments in Africa were so poorly guided that they did not build any wells for safe drinking water for the masses. I found the fact that countries are now using what used to be used for agricultural and hydroelectric purposes to block off water to other governments atrocious. Many unstable governments consisting of totalitarian leaderships did this to the lower classes, and collapsed in on themselves through civil wars, but this could cause political shock-waves resulting in multinational and possibly global warfare, as stated above as acts of terrorism.
Proposition of a new question:
¾. How would terrorism on water purification and movement control sites affect the US in the long term? Would we become targets?
Sorry I didn't read the requirements close enough, so here are all of my questions:
ReplyDeleteProposition of new questions:
¼. Is it legal for any country to step in and help? Why or why not?
½. If we do decide to help, what way of support would be best? Why is it superior to other methods?
¾. How would terrorism on water purification and movement control sites affect the US in the long term? Would we become targets?
Opinion:
ReplyDeleteI find it strange how here in the United States we have so much water, yet in other countries they are struggling to find any. Part of what we learned in Environmental Science class is that when a population can't survive in one area, they move to another. For some reason, humans have never learned this lesson. A desert is not exactly what I think about when I think about liveable. There is not much to do about the water shortage, since we can't exactly make water appear.
Response to Thoughtful Question:
4) The benefits of starving the enemy is extremely obvious. Humans have been doing it ever since two sides disagreed. When two kingdoms were at war, the solution would often be lay siege on the enemy castle. The enemy would have to do whatever the blockading kingdom wanted or die. If Turkey or Syria wanted to, they can easily put the other countries that use the Tigris River in a position to do anything. This would include treaties, payment, access to resources, etc.
Response To Silly Question:
I haven't seen the Hunger Games yet. Maybe sometime during break I can see the Hunger Games and stop caring about the problems of the world.
Opinion:
ReplyDeleteI think it is sad that so many countries do not have enough water. It is so sad that we take water for granted here in the United States. We use it for recreational purposes like water slides and people in africa have even dirtier water to drink. I think that people who do not have water should try and move to place that do. I know that is really unrealistic and insensitive, but it is the only way.
Response to thoughtful question:
1. I think that the United States is not going to get involved if you are counting the government but certain charities are probably already helping. They probably ship water over there. I really hope that people are helping them because living your life looking for water is not really a life at all.