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The Confluence of Water Resources and National Security Where, why and how policy currents converge. Daene McKinney & Steve Pitman Transboundary Water Resources.
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The Confluence of Water Resources and National SecurityWhere, why and how policy currents converge. Daene McKinney & Steve Pitman Transboundary Water Resources
Water in the landscape (above and below ground) with current or potential value to the community and the environment. - Western Australia Water and Rivers Commission Condition of a nation’s safety from threats, especially threats from external sources. - McGraw Hill Online Water Resources National Security
Water Resources professionals: When and how will national security affect water resources? National Security professionals: When and how will water affect national security? Two Perspectives:
Analysis: Why, when & how have links developed? CAUSES Can we predict future occurrences? INDICATORS
River Basin Case Studies • Jordan • Syria, Israel, Jordan • Nile • Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt • Indus • India, Pakistan • Tigris-Euphrates • Turkey, Syria, Iraq
Jordan Basin • Post WWI – Mandates • 1948 – State of Israel • 1950’s – plans • 1960’s – conflicts • 1967 – Six Day War • PLO attacks • 1980’s threats • 1990’s treaties • 2000’s 2nd Intifadeh www.glowa-jordan-river.de
Jordan Basin • Politically charged • Population 10M+ • double in 30 years • Already “water stressed” • Boundary issues • Allocation inequities www.glowa-jordan-river.de
Nile Basin • Interested in 3 of 9 basin countries • Egypt • Lowest riparian • Most dependent • Most powerful • Big US aid recipient • Ethiopia • Contributes most • Uses least • Poorest • Sudan – in between www.thewaterpage.com
Nile Basin • Colonial cash-crop economies • 1929 Treaty • Century Storage Scheme • 1959 Treaty • Aswan High Dam • Cold War politics • Civil wars www.thewaterpage.com
Indus Basin • 1859-1915 - British build canals for flood control and irrigation • 1947 – Partition • India – key headwaters • Pakistan – bulk of canals and farmland • 1948 – India cuts flow, Pakistani crops fail, Pakistanis call for war • 1952-60 – World Bank mediation • Indus Water Treaty earthtrends.wri.org www.iucn.org
Tigris-Euphrates Basin • Earliest water conflicts • Turkey • Source of both rivers • GAP - $30B project • Syria very dependent on Euphrates • Iraq totally dependent on both rivers • 1975 – Crisis between Iraq and Syria • 1990 – Ataturk Dam earthtrends.wri.org
AnalysisNational Security-Water Resources Linkage Common Factors: • Arid areas w/ irrigated agriculture • Power imbalance (economic/military) • Presence of non-water disputes • Non-joint development • Outside influences*
CAUSESNational Security-Water Resources Linkage • Jordan Basin • Conflict exists before water disputes • One state alters status by occupying territory • Nile Basin • Lower riparian completely dependent • Powerful country publicly announces link • Indus Basin • Water policy of one state affects interest of lower riparian • Tigris-Euphrates • Actions fuel unease over future possibilities
(Old) INDICATORSNational Security-Water Resources Linkage • Unilateral development of international river –Postel & Wolf • Change in political boundaries creating new riparians -Wolf • Existing mechanisms unable to cope with changes -Wolf
Postel & Wolf : Foreign Policy – September/October 2001
(New) INDICATORSNational Security-Water Resources Linkage • Previous retrospective indicators • Unilateral development of a basin • Change in political boundaries creating new riparians • New predictive indicators • Significant non-water-related tensions exist in the basin • At least one basin state’s water resources are vulnerable or nearly fully utilized
Indicating Linkages Between Water Resources and National Security • At least one indicator from each column implies conditions are present for a water resources-national security policy linkage • Three or four indicators present signifies higher likelihood of policy linkage • Uzbekistan found itself in the position where all four applied, so what did they do?
Uzbek National Security Policy Related to Water • Water became a National Security Policy issue • Decision taken to regarding water resources • Two new reservoirs built and infrastructure modernized • Invest hard currency • New water management regime • Required relinquish (some) authority • Provided sufficient new storage to capture winter Kyrgyz releases • Uncoupled the basin-wide interconnection between the countries • Provided a secure source of water for economic development