As worldwide oil and gas production peaks and consumer demand ever increases, conflict over these scarce resources is well publicized. However, as the Pulitzer Center On Crisis Reporting states, while wealthy nations like America "fret over gas and oil", over a BILLION of the world's poor cannot get access to the most basic of necessities - WATER. As Ernest Waititu reports in The Indypendent this leads to strained relations between communities competing for the same dwindling supply of water and pasture lands. When, as in Ethiopia, some 80% of people live in rural locations and only 24% have access to safe drinking water, the situation can only get worse.

The problem, however, is not just Africa's. As Negusu Akilu, director of the Forum for the Environment in Ethiopia warns "the rich should read the writing on the wall" as it could be them in a few years time. And we would do well to take heed. For while it must be recognized, as tribal leaders such as Mohammed Hassan concede, that internal factors such as population and livestock growth and deforestation have contributed to the worsening drought, rising temperatures and dwindling rainfall due to GLOBAL warming also have a massive effect. And while at present the African continent is at greatest risk from this global warming - made more vulnerable by its financial inability to adapt (and this despite the fact it has contributed LEAST to climate change)- water shortage and pollution will undoubtedly affect all of us more and more. Already, some 80% of China's rivers and 75% of Indian rivers are running sewers while the Colorado River Basin has experienced its worst drought for 500 years and is a major source of water for big cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles. And if, as in large parts of Africa, economic competition for water grows more fierce and control of supplies ignores humanitarian needs in favor of commercial gain, then civil unrest and tribal warfare on a world-wide scale(local, national, international) seems no more unlikely than that we have witnessed over oil and gas in the Middle East and elsewhere (however they have been dressed up).

It seems then that if the struggle for water in areas such as Ethiopia and Kenya and the conflicts that arise from it are a microcosm of a global problem, then it needs global action. This means not only supporting better management of resources and more traditional, peaceful means of conflict resolution on the African continent, but better management of this precious resource in every country and a more proactive, target driven UN response to climate change. With China's prolific industrial driven economic expansion, America's reluctance to curb its carbon emissions and the huge water wastage problem across the Western world (to name just a few of the challenges we face) it is no longer enough to rely on peoples consciences to help solve (or at least curb) this problem. Too often we have shown, as far conscience and humanity go, they too are in short supply.

Learn more about this author, Sally Hart.
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