On the brink of a global conflict

Middle East: Some analysts believe Israel continues to occupy the Golan Heights, seized from Syria in 1967, in order to ensure control over water resources.

Palestinian communities in Jordan Valley claim they are frequently denied permits to restore old wells or dig new ones, while the UN says the water system in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of collapse.

North Africa: The battle for control of the life-giving waters of the Nile, which flows through 10 countries, has gone on for centuries. Sparking protests from Egypt and Sudan, Ethiopia has joined Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania in signing a treaty on equitable sharing of the Nile. Historic deals had given Egypt and Sudan veto over upstream projects that could affect water flow.

Brazil: In May 2011, Amazon environmental campaigner Adelino Ramos, known for denouncing those who illegally felled trees in the rainforest, was murdered. Soon after, a court ordered the suspension of a massive hydroelectric dam project in the rainforest, citing environmental concerns.

Mexico: Water contamination is threatening residents of Mexico City, where many people rely heavily on surrounding water basins for fresh water. Booming development and expansion in the city of 20m is polluting the canals at an alarming level.

Ecuador: Clashes took place in June of last year in Ecuador’s capital, Quito, over laws regulating water resources. Farmers, indigenous groups, and environmentalists have campaigned against a new water law that supports large-scale mining projects.

Peru: The capital, Lima, is undergoing severe shortages of clean water for its growing population, while residents in rural areas have clashed with mining companies over access to water.

Bolivia: Peasants fought a pitched battle against water privatisation in 1999-2000 in what came to be known as “Cochabamba Water Wars”. The protests forced the government and the IMF to back down from imposing rate increases.

Central Asia: Lake Balkhash, the region’s second largest, is slowly dying because huge quantities of water are drawn from the rivers that feed it to support cotton cultivation by Kazakhstan and its neighbours, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. This has already led to localised conflict among people who depend on the lake, and the fear is that if things get worse, these conflicts could escalate.

Cambodia: Nations around the Mekong River delta in South-East Asia are worried about the river’s low water levels. Fears have been heightened by the construction by Chinese companies of two hydroelectric dams in Cambodia, one on a tributary of the Mekong.

Kashmir: India and Pakistan have fought three wars since 1947. Much of the conflict is focussed on disagreement over the water that flows from Indian-administered Kashmir into Pakistan’s Indus river basin.

Southern Sudan: About 350,000 people have been displaced by ethnic conflict, due in part to tensions over the scarcity of water.