Transcript Water for Life: A Source of Conflict

Catholic Social Ministry Gathering
Washington, DC
February 24-27, 2008
Water for Life:
A Source of Conflict
Albert M. Wright
Senior Advisor, Global Water Partnership
and
Dennis B. Warner
Sr. Technical Advisor, Water and Sanitation
Catholic Relief Services
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Drought-Affected Reservoir, Kenya
Drought-Affected Reservoir, Kenya
Household water supply, Niger
Household water supply
Niger
Salt Build Up in Abandoned
Irrigation Field, Pakistan
Salt Build Up in Abandoned Irrigation Field
Pakistan
Protected spring
DRC Congo
Role of Water
Water as a vital substance for sustaining life
•
•
Water is a basic and indispensable necessity for health, socioeconomic well being and the very existence of life on our planet
It also often represents the spiritual link between us and our
Creator
Water as a source of conflict
•
•
Conflicts arise when two or more parties disagree over the use of a
body of water
Such conflicts may arise between families, ethnic groups or
countries
In this presentation, we will address both roles of water – (1) in
sustaining life and (2) in causing conflicts
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Part I: Water as the Foundation
of Life
Water, an essential element for life
- a natural resource vital for the survival of humanity and all
species on earth
- a common good of the entire human family
- its benefits are meant for all and not only for those who
live in countries where water is abundant
- water is intrinsically linked to fundamental human rights
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, 2006
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Rights and Responsibilities
Rights-based principles
All people have rights to water
• For life and health
• For livelihoods
• For protection of their environment
• For support in times of emergencies
All people have responsibilities regarding water
• To share water equitably with others
• To conserve water as a natural resource
• To protect against the degradation of water resources
• To provide water services in times of emergencies
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A World Without Water
Water has physical, physiological, economic, cultural and
spiritual uses. Without water:
• Normal daily activities (bathing, cooking, personal hygiene) could not
occur
• Religious rituals based on water would not be possible
• Our bodies could not function
• Plants and animals would not grow and reproduce
• The atmosphere would become toxic without the generation of O2
• Commerce and industry would come to a halt
• Civilization would end
• Life on Earth (humans, animals, plants, insects, microorganisms)
would cease to exist
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Water Availability and Distribution
Population and poverty
• Global
• Developing countries
• Living in poverty: (less than $2 per day)
6.5 billion
5.0 billion
3.0 billion
Global water availability
• Salt water
97.5%
• Freshwater
2.5% (mostly in glaciers and deep underground)
• Available freshwater 0.01% (approx 6,000 m3/person/yr)
Freshwater distribution
• Highly variable between and within countries
• Absolute water scarcity (less than 1000 m3/person/yr for all uses)
affects over 500 million people in more than 30 countries
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Water Supply and Sanitation Needs
Minimum acceptable standards to maintain health in poor
countries:
• Domestic water supply - 5 gallons/person/day (20 liters/per/day)
• Domestic sanitation - sanitary disposal of human wastes near the
home that does not contaminate water supplies, food, animals or
people (example: pit latrine)
Poverty and the lack of water and sanitation
• Globally, over 1.1 billion people lack access an improved drinking
water supply and 2.6 billion do not have a sanitary system for
disposing of their bodily wastes
• The lack of access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation is
mainly a matter of poverty, typically affecting people in rural areas,
urban slums and squatter settlements
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Populations Served by Water and
Sanitation Systems (2004)
USA
•
•
Water supply
Sanitation
100% (over 99% with multiple taps inside the home)
100% (over 99% with flush toilets inside the home)
Global
•
•
Water supply
Sanitation
83% (54% with a tap inside the home)
59%
Developing Countries (over two-thirds of the world population)
•
•
Water supply
Sanitation
80% (44% with a tap inside the home)
50%
Sub-Saharan Africa (poorest region, - 740,000 million people in 42
countries)
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•
Water supply
Sanitation
56% (16% with a tap inside the home)
37%
Consider populations not served in Sub-Saharan Africa
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•
For water supply, improved access is lacking for
– 58% in rural areas
– 20% in urban areas
For sanitation, a proper means of disposal is lacking for
– 72% in rural areas
– 47% in urban areas
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Water and Health
According to many sources (United Nations, World Bank,
WHO)
• 88% of all diseases are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate
sanitation, and poor hygiene
• Nearly 50% of people in developing countries currently suffer from a
water and sanitation-related disease (dysentery, typhoid fever,
cholera, intestinal worms, etc)
• At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by
patients suffering from a water-related disease
• Every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease
• 1.8 million children die each year from diarrhea (almost 5,000 each
day)
High levels of illness and death are closely linked to poverty and to
poor water and sanitation
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Water and Livelihoods
Lack of access to safe water supply and basic sanitation
has social and economic costs
• Women and girls in developing countries are the main carriers of
water
• Many spend most of their day bringing water to the home, and it
may not be safe to drink
• Girls who carry water often do not have the time to attend school
• Some parents refuse to send their young girls to school if it lacks
basic sanitation facilities
• Time spent carrying water is not available for other household
tasks, such as tending gardens, caring for children or market crafts
This situation is a major cause of poverty, gender inequality, and
poor education of girls in developing countries
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Water and Environment
Worldwide, 2.6 billion people lack sustainable access to
basic sanitation
• Lack of basic sanitation is a major cause of pollution to both surface
waters (rivers and lakes) and underground waters
• Pollution of water supply sources increases the cost of water
treatment, forcing municipalities to invest in alternative water
sources and in more costly water treatment
• Polluted water sources affect not only communities, but also
agricultural practices, wildlife and overall biodiversity
Inadequate protection of water resources often leads to increasing
degradation of other environmental elements (deforestation,
soil erosion, loss of plant and animal species) and further
contributes to overall poverty
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Water and the Spirit
Christianity has always used water as a symbolic link
between God and Mankind
• Water as the cleansing medium in baptism
• Its effect upon the Israelites: Moses parting the Red Sea
• The offer of “living water” by Christ to the Samaritan woman at the
well of Jacob
• Christ washing the feet His disciples at the Last Supper
• The mixing of water and wine in the Eucharist
• Our stewardship of water and other creations of God
• In naming children in some cultures, e.g. in Ghana
Water is associated with birth, rebirth, renewal and responsibility
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Part II: Problems Leading to
Water Conflicts
Conflicts around the world are being fueled or exacerbated
by water shortages
Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, in an address to the UN General Assembly, 6 Feb 2008
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Conflicts in Water Supply and
Sanitation
Access to drinking water supply and sanitation services is
often blocked by
• poor management of water sources
• lack of planning
• unequal distribution of drinking water and sanitation services
between rich and poor
• privatization of government water utilities
• increases in water rates and fees
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Conflicts in Water Resources
Water as a tool of conflict (traditional role)
• Component of military action – water access used by naval
warships
• Consequence of military action – floods or droughts indirectly
caused by military activities
• Target of military action – water infrastructure deliberately
destroyed
Water as a source of conflict (emerging role)
• Water shortages for municipal, industrial, or agricultural needs
• Threat of future water shortages
• Allocation of water resources among two or more parties
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Types of Water Resources Conflicts
International/transboundary conflicts
• There are over 260 transboundary water basins, both surface
watersheds and underground aquifers, that cross international
borders
• Disputes arise over the control, access and use of water that moves
across international borders
• The past half century has witnessed more than 500 conflict-related
events over water, seven of which have involved violence
• Resolution requires international agreements
Examples
• Nile River –10 countries have agreed to share the water resources
through the Nile Basin Initiative
• Lake Titicaca – Bolivia and Peru created an autonomous water
authority to manage the water resources of the basin
• Euphrates River – Turkey controls the basin headwaters which
supply most of the water flowing to Iraq. No current agreement.
• Palestine – Israel controls the major aquifer underlying the West
Bank. No current agreement.
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Types of Water Resources Conflicts (cont.)
National conflicts
• Within countries, conflicts often occur in connection with allocation
between different uses, e.g. between environmental and economic
uses; between power generation and abstraction for water supply;
between irrigation and waste disposal or between agriculture and
water transport
• Conflicts can be peaceful or violent depending on methods of
resolution
Examples
• Darfur, Sudan – Violent conflict (genocide) between farmers and
herders regarding control of pasturelands has not been resolved.
International intervention currently taking place.
• Ghana – A political contest between power and water utilities over
location of water intake works above or below the Volta Dam.
• USA – Legal dispute between the States of Georgia, Alabama and
Florida over allocation of the waters of the Lake Lanier Reservoir near
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Atlanta has been resolved in federal court.
Triggers of Water Conflicts
• Needs of economic development – Expanding industrial and
agricultural activities may require more water than is readily available
either as a natural resource or as a commercial product that can be
purchased
• Growing water scarcity – The quantity and quality of available water
can decline over time as a result of overexploitation of natural water
resources, environmental degradation of water sources, or declining
flows of water into the area
• Ownership issues – Legal rights to the ownership and use of surface
and underground waters may allow some parties to control access to
water
• Upstream-downstream needs – Withdrawal and use of water along
the upper reaches of a river may have negative effects on the
downstream users
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Triggers of Water Conflicts (cont.)
• Climate change – Global warming may result in a series of changes
in rainfall patterns, seasonal temperatures, river flows, groundwater
levels and, consequently, availability of water resources
• Injustice – Parties in control of water may refuse to share with the
needy access to and the use of water resources for essential human
needs
• Water source security – A country may want to control water
resources that originate in another country
• Territorial expansion – A country may want to expand its national
boundaries to include well-watered lands in another country
• Fear – One party may act to take control of a common water resource
before another party does
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Part III: Attempts to Mitigate
Water Conflicts
Water is the source of health and well-being and requires
responsible action from us human beings… It is therefore right
to speak out and to act when the life-giving water is
pervasively and systematically under threat.
Statement on Water for Life, World Council of Churches, Feb. 2006
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Need for Cooperative Action
• The role and centrality of water in international affairs will continue to
increase in the coming years
• As the growing demand for water resources meets the fixed limit of
available water, competition between individuals, organizations and
countries will increase and, if not mediated, may result in violence
• Given water's importance for practically every aspect of life - health,
environment, economy, welfare, politics and culture - it is well beyond
the scope of any individual country to resolve many of the issues
unilaterally
• There are more than 3,800 unilateral, bilateral or multilateral
declarations or conventions on water: 286 are treaties, with 61
referring to over 200 international river basins
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International Development
Organizations
• International institutions (United Nations, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO,
UNEP, Habitat, World Bank)
• Bilateral agencies (USAID, DFID, CIDA, GTZ, NORAD, JICA)
• Non governmental organizations (CRS, Caritas, CARE, Oxfam,
World Vision, ADRA)
• Institutes (IUCN, WWF, Sierra Club, Conservation International,
Water Advocates)
• Foundations (Gates, Hilton, HG Buffet)
• Private sector multinationals (Coca Cola, Procter & Gamble, Dow
Chemical)
• Other (church missions, family foundations, individuals)
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International Water Initiatives
Most international efforts to reduce water conflicts have been
based on meeting basic water needs and reducing
inequalities
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1981-1990 : International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade;
launched at the UN General Assembly
– Goal: 100% coverage in water and sanitation by 1990
2000: Millennium Development Goals; ratified by 189 nations at the
Millennium Summit to help the poorest countries end poverty by 2015
– Goal No. 7: Ensuring Environmental Sustainability, with Target 10:
– Reduce by half, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable
access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, using 1990 as the base
year
2005-2015: International Water for Life Decade; declared by UN General
Assembly
– Goals: achieve water and sanitation targets in the MDGs, improve water
efficiency in agriculture, free women and girls from the burden of carrying
water, and involve women in decision-making on water management
2008: International Year of Sanitation; declared by UN General Assembly
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– Goal: raise awareness and promote action on sanitation
Water as a Human Right
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1948: Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes water as integral
component of rights to life, standard of living, health, housing and food
1949: Geneva Convention (protocol 1, article 54) prohibits destroying in
wartime drinking water installations, supplies and irrigation works
2002: UN Economic and Social Council stated that the human right to water is
fundamental for life and health and is indispensable for the realization of other
human rights. Everyone is entitled to safe and sufficient drinking water and
governments are obligated to respect, protect and act to realize the right to water
2007: Ecumenical Water Working Group called on President Bush and the
Congress to recognize and implement the human right to water so that everyone
will have accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses
2007: United Nations Human Development Report called on all governments
to recognize the human right to water, prioritize and fund water and sanitation in
national budgets, provide international assistance for water projects and develop
a strong global plan of action
2007: U.S. House of Representatives began consideration of a proposed
sense of Congress resolution on global freshwater resources that also
recognized the human right to water
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Part IV: The Christian Response
A central question is why should we be more involved in this and
other issues relating to Social and Environmental Justice.
Water is an essential element not only for growing crops and
raising animals, but also for people’s very survival…
Competitive claims on water resources by irrigation, industry,
and urban domestic users often favor the more powerful,
leaving the less powerful thirsty. Inaction on our part will
have profound consequences for life in all its forms and
especially for the vulnerable .…
Water for Life, Franciscan (OFM) JPIC, Rome
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Guiding Principles for CRS Activities
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Dignity and Equality of the Human Person
All of humanity has been created in the image of God and possesses a basic
dignity and equality that comes directly from our creation and not from any action
on our own part.
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Rights and Responsibilities
Every person has basic rights and responsibilities that flow from our human
dignity and that belong to us as human beings regardless of any social or political
structures.
•
Social Nature of Humanity
All of us are social by nature and are called to live in community with others—our
full human potential isn’t realized in solitude, but in community with others.
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The Common Good
In order for all of us to have an opportunity to grow and develop fully, a certain
social fabric must exist within society.
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Guiding Principles for CRS
Activities (cont.)
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Subsidiarity
A higher level of government—or organization—should not perform any function
or duty that can be handled more effectively at a lower level by people who are
closer to the problem and have a better understanding of the issue.
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Solidarity
We are all part of one human family—whatever our national, racial, religious,
economic, or ideological differences—and in an increasingly interconnected
world, loving our neighbor has global dimensions.
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Option for the Poor
In every economic, political, and social decision, a weighted concern must be
given to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable.
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Stewardship
There is inherent integrity to all of creation, and it requires careful stewardship of
all our resources, ensuring that we use and distribute them justly and equitably—
as well as planning for future generations.
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Possible Solutions
From the perspective of the water professional:
• There should be a paradigm shift from sharing water resources to
sharing the benefits of water resources management and use
• We should promote greater emphasis on water as a human right and
water as a vehicle to end poverty
• We should promote education of all stakeholders (politicians,
development workers, direct beneficiaries), as well as the general
public, on the paradigm shift
• We should explore the peace-building potential of shared water
• We should promote Peace Engineering more actively
• We should promote solidarity among stakeholders
• We should promote IWRM (Integrated Water Resources
Management) as the overall approach to sharing and protecting water
resources for the benefit of all
Possible Solutions (cont.)
From the perspective of the Social Ministry leader:
Conserve – Give personal example of using water wisely at home and at
work
Study – Inquire and learn about water needs and problems in the world
Support – Assist local and national movements that work to address
water-related poverty and human rights violations
Lead – Provide ideas, inspiration and leadership to your own Social
Ministry group on water-related activities
Advocate – Speak out to public officials and encourage them to (1)
establish and implement sound national and international water policies
and (2) provide greater support to water and sanitation development for
the poorest of the poor
Participate – Become directly involved with the poor in another country by
traveling to and working with them on their water problems
Recruit – Encourage young people to consider professional careers
working with the poor in developing countries
Shallow Well, Niger
Shallow drinking water well
Niger