Water Wars: Why Water Shortages Are the Greatest Threat to Global Security

Mar 6, 2015 | Zeeshan Aleem, Policy Mic
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If you were to ask the average American to list what the cause of the next global conflict would be, they'd likely list the threats posed by terrorism or rogue regimes brandishing nuclear weapons. What they almost certainly wouldn't mention is water.

According to a United Nations report presented at U.N. headquarters in New York last week, about 2.9 billion people in 48 countries will be facing water shortages within 10 years that could destabilize and jeopardize the "very existence" of some countries. By 2030, there will be a global supply shortfall of 40%. And it could pose a major threat to global security.

"People do not have the luxury of living without water and when faced with a life or death decision, people tend to do whatever they must to survive," the report said. "In this manner, changes in fundamental hydrology are likely to cause new kinds of conflict, and it can be expected that both water scarcity and flooding will become major transboundary water issues."