Don’t Waste the New US Water-Security Strategy

Feb 20, 2018 | David Reed
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President Trump should order the inclusion of water issues — a major driver of security problems — in the national defense and security strategies. In his State of the Union address, the President once again called for stronger responses to global security crises and significant new investments in security along our southern border. And yet, one of the drivers behind both of these issues – namely, water security – has received little attention to date. While there are highly polarized views on immigration policies and border security needs, there is one clear step his administration could take that might have broad appeal. It could issue an executive order that bolsters U.S. efforts to address the many growing water security threats around the world. In doing so, the administration can improve conditions for millions of people who lack sufficient access to water and advance U.S. national security interests at the same time.