The document discusses several global water security issues including population growth, climate change, and water management strains threatening regional stability. It notes water issues are increasingly relevant globally and intersect with other policy areas. While water wars are likely overblown, changing demographics are challenging historical water sharing norms. The document outlines water conflicts between several countries and regions and the economic and social impacts of water shortages. It provides examples of strategies to address water challenges from industry, governments, and organizations.

2.  The Global Water Security Report
warns that problems such as
population growth, climate
change, and water management
that strains water supplies could
destabilize regions around the
world in the future.
(Source: Diane Rehm Show, 3 April 2012, about “Global Water Security,”
Intelligence Community Assessment, 2 Feb 2012.)

4.  Water issues are often seen in local and
national terms, but the global picture is
becoming more relevant. E.g., The
tsunami and ensuing floods in Japan
wreaked havoc on its economy with
economic spillovers in technology, auto
production and global supply chains.
 Policy areas of energy, health, food
security and environment intersect water
demand and supply issues.
 Arguments about water wars are likely
overblown. However, historical norms
are changing owing to demographics,
urbanization and industrialization in the
developing world.

5.  “Water problems— when combined with poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation,
ineffectual leadership, and weak political institutions— contribute to social disruptions that
can result in state failure.”
 Implications of freshwater scarcity include instability, interstate conflict due to water-sharing
agreements that could lead to using water as political leverage, and water as a potential
terrorist threat.
 “Depletion of groundwater will hurt agricultural areas – putting national and global food
markets at risk.”
 Cooperation on transboundary waters intersects several issues: agriculture, hydropower,
insufficiently treated wastewater, mining, and especially policy coherence and integration.
The EU currently has strong legal framework for water management and pollution control,
but institutions for cooperation need to be strengthened especially in the Aral Sea and Kura
basins.
(Source: Global Water Security Report, Feb 2012.)

11.  Economic growth, urbanization,
industrialization and increasing affluence will
shift demand for water and sanitation purposes
even higher. For example, China’s middle
class is expected to grow from 4% of the
population in 2005 to 56% by 2030.
 Population growth makes declining water
supplies spread among more people,
agriculture, industry and businesses,
challenging, even posing competitive threats,
to one another. (Warren, 2010)
 By 2030, two billion more urban residents are
expected to populate the globe.

13. India-China
Conflict Over the Brahmaputra
 Brahmaputra River and its basin, surrounding India, China, and reaching
Bangladesh, is considered a "potential water flashpoint" by scholarly
experts.
 World Preservation Foundation stated that aquifers under Beijing and
Delhi are drying up. Science supports this.
 Demographic trends alongside urbanization (increasing middle classes)
and industrialization will place unprecedented demands on water supply
in these regions.
 China is building numerous hydropower dams on the Brahmaputra, with
an eye toward river diversion as well. India also has the same ideas.

14. Historically, Pakistan has faced massive water challenges including
access to the Indus and Punjab river headwaters. Pakistan depends on both
retreating Himalayan glaciers and monsoon rainfalls, which frequently change.
Growing water demands coupled with waterlogging and salinity in their
irrigation increase water issues for Pakistanis.
 The Pakistan/India conflict over the
Indus has had many inflection  With the largest continuous
points. irrigation system in the world,
Pakistan’s massive agricultural
sector depends on water supply from
 Regional cooperation between the
the Indus River.
two countries is imperative. A 2010
dry spell in the region led India to
allegedly withhold water from  South Asia’s rivers “are the lifelines
Pakistani farmers. The construction of its economy” making water issues
of Indian dams on the Indus could a point of development and
enable India to cut off Pakistan’s economic necessity, says Richard
water supply. Damania of the World Bank.

16. Rapid urbanization and industrial growth are main drivers of its water-
energy demand challenges. Agriculture makes up 50% of water demand, and
industrial demand comprises the other 32%, which is largely driven by thermal
power generation.

17.  Water refugees within
China are driven from
their homes. Ten
provinces in China,
accounting for 45% of
GDP, are considered
water poor by the World
Bank.

18. Water shortages cost
China about 1.3% of its
annual economic output,
with a further 1% lost to
water pollution, says the
World Bank.

20.  Australia has become a global leader in water research, policy and
practice. Shortages in rainfall (drought) over the past decade have
caused Australia to implement new programs.
 Areas in Australia have suffered the driest seasons on record in
the last 13 years, emphasizing the importance of water security in
the country.
 The Australian Water Resources Project, a collaboration between
the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA),
Uniwater, and Harvard, addresses Australian water issues with
findings and research that can be applied globally.

21.  Pressures from agriculture and
development on the Everglades
region in Central Florida have
severely degraded the ecosystem,
according to Columbia University
researchers. Since the 1930s, there
has been an 80% decline in
wading bird populations and a
severe worsening of water quality
from decreased freshwater flows.

22.  Africa is the second driest continent in the world with 14
countries suffering from water problems.
 25 sub-Saharan countries will be water stressed by 2025, at
which time nearly 50% of Africa’s predicted population of 1.45
billion people will face water strain or scarcity.
(Source: World Economic Forum Water Initiative, Jan 2009)

24.  Brazil, with its 205,700,000 population,
faces water scarcity, water pollution,
drought and flood events, and unequal
access to water and sanitation services.
 Though Brazil has about 15% of the
world’s freshwater resources, the water
is unequally distributed.
 E.g., Amazon region holds about 12%
of the population, but 80% of the
water resources.
 According to the 2010 Census: 83% of
the population has in-house access to
water supply.

25.  The Amazon has a unique role in There have been major
climate and hydrology. advances in the last 20
years between the
government, NGOs
 The Amazon region has the and municipalities:
world’s cleanest energy metrics: Sophisticated, world-
90% of electricity comes from class NGOS are
hydropower. focusing on science
and applying practical
solutions.
 40% of the Amazon is under
conservation restrictions.

27.  With industry being a heavy user of
water, strategies such as reduce,
recycle, replenish and sustain are
being implemented by global leaders
such as Coca Cola and others.
 Firms are forming public-private
partnerships (PPPs) to work with
varied government, environmental
and non-governmental organizations.
Eg. USAID, WWF, World Bank, IFC,
Global Water Challenge
 Replenish and sustain activities
include watershed protection,
community access to water and
sanitation (especially in developing
countries), and education and
awareness initiatives.

28. Produced by:
Jennifer Warren
Danielle Dudding
Maya Lechowick
Disclaimer: all errors and omissions are
the authors above.