by Nils Eriksson

Created on: September 07, 2009   Last Updated: September 10, 2009

Uncertainties of the Future - Water Availability

Our planet, the one so called blue Planet, is it possible that a war contradictory to its colour can erupt? By facts, 75 percent of the surface is covered with water in terms of oceans, rivers and lakes. How come that a war can emerged from such statistics. The melancholy truth proves that we 'human' or 'even mammals' have fought for survival since our existence.

Besides, the abundance of water available on earth, is partly muddy and unhygienic. The blatant reality is that clean and drinkable water is a scarce resource. That we have, are, and will persist to struggle and fight to drink. Water is not gold but it is priceless and essential for our survival.

Facts and Figures

In our comprehensive environment, either in rural or urban landscapes, we are heavily dependent on water. An individual enjoying a decent standard of living uses approximately 50 to more than 150 liters of water per day, while on the other side in slums, people are living on a deprived volume of only 5 to 10 liters per day.

Impoverishment in terms of deprivation of a basic necessity such as water is a consequence and a result of absolute poverty. There are those who are forced to survive by drinking unhygienic water, leading to potential disease and fatal contamination.

The problem of water scarcity is intensifying at an exponential pace, although that alternative such as filtering of sea water and planning of water distribution is improving, more than 30 percent of water is wasted in leakages or illegal extraction. The inanity of supply and availability of water is becoming a threat to social stability.

Is War possible?

Is our animalistic instinct for survival that extreme, that it will raise men against men for a drop of water? I am pretty sure that we have all seen documentaries, especially from Africa, whereby predators are waiting along the river for a prey to pass-by. This metaphorical illustration, shows the reality of the problem. We are ready to die for a drop of water just as other beings.

We are uncertain about our evolution but we know that men have constantly been in riots. This is our animalistic instinct, a state prior to civilization but still apparent in our modern world for different reasons. There are those who fight for survival, fear, money while others simply follow the mainstream and joins the fight. Water war is highly possible. The only question is the dimension of the fought, will it be domestic or international?

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