The Coming World War over Water....

“Water is a big issue! Fresh water––while globally abundant–– is scarce in much of South Asia, northern China, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, and will become scarcer in the years ahead. At the same time, global demand for water for agricultural and industrial production and household uses is increasing steadily.  Experts at the Global Water Policy Project estimate that by 2025, 40 percent of the world’s population will live in countries that are ‘water stressed.’  These countries—most of which are in Africa and South Asia––will be unable to provide enough water for agricultural, industrial, and household needs."

Intelligence Challenges Through 2015

United States Central Intelligence Agency

Future historians—if indeed any exist—will question the mental state of the people of this era.  Economic and population growth was held sacrosanct even as resources were polluted and depleted.  Entire regions began suffering from drought but at the same time plutocrats pushed for more expansion while the oil and gas mafia injected precious underground water supplies with highly poisonous chemicals thus ensuring even those reserves could not be used.  Even the CIAs report above is not without its underlying political softballs.  Note that the document states that water is “globally abundant” and that shortages will only occur over there…you know in far off places like Africa and South Asia.  But a quick look at places nearby like South Texas tells a different story.  At this very moment politicians, bureaucrats and “developers” are in a state of panic.  Water reserves are critically low and some communities are now saying they will not be able to provide water this coming summer.  This is not an oddity.  Other places in the United States are also seeing looming water crises.  In South Texas most of the water comes from the Rio Grande that marks the border between the US and Mexico.  But the Rio Grande’s water shed occurs mainly in Mexico and thus the United States is dependent on its southern neighbor to release water into the river.  This is according to an international treaty stating that over periods of time Mexico must discharge water from its reserves into the Rio Grande so that the people of South Texas can have water for their cities and industries.  Of course we should keep in mind that the United States has either violated or ignored many treaties that did not serve its best interests and Mexico has been the victim of this tactic in decades past.  As one letter writer recently told me, “What goes around comes around.”  But you see Mexico is also experiencing an acute water crisis.  In fact, Mexico’s water reserves are even lower now than in the United States.  And according to the water sharing treaty Mexico still has two years before it must comply with its part of the deal.  In other words, even though the politicians, bureaucrats and “developers” are panicked there isn’t much they can do other than whine and perhaps threaten.  Mexico is completely within its rights to hold onto its water reserves for two more years.  But, of course, this type of situation has been predicted for a long time.  A perspicacious few have been telling folks in South Texas for decades that they should be less reckless and instead initiate serious water conservation measures.  The mindset however has always been to install water conservation ordinances when things are critical but to quickly abandon those ordinances the minute the water situation rebounds.  But here are some frightening facts.  The two large reservoirs that hold water along the Rio Grande in South Texas can go from high to extremely low in less than a year given current demand.  Nonetheless, the business community and their politicians can be likened to the sinner who begs for mercy when in a tight spot but quickly goes back to his evil ways when things improve.

Here are some more facts: American intelligence community reports predict that wars are going to be waged over water shortages.  It will no longer be a matter of who has the great oil reserves but instead who has water.  Consider this: If you were a kid growing up in the United States in the 1960s the population was about 165 million people.  Today the US population is over 300 million and some are saying its closer to 350 million.  By the way, for all of you young “bushcrafters” out there who are going to the woods to make feather sticks, baton pieces of wood and otherwise partake of the wilds I’ve got some very bad news.  There ain’t any wild left…at least not in the contiguous 48 states!  In fact, what you perceive of as wild is in reality just a sort of playground where you can go and pretend.  Fifty years ago there were less than half the people on this land than there are now.  Your perceived wilderness experience is what those living a half-century ago called a picnic at the city park.  Add to that resources are depleting at light speed!  While some are frenzied over buying another knife or axe or piece of high-tech camping gear maybe it would be better if they made do with less and thus stopped participating in the rape of nature.  Just a thought but what I see in so many forums and “bushcraft/camping” blogs is nothing more than buy, buy, buy and more buy.  If people living 100 years ago could suddenly come to life I guarantee you they would take one look around and immediately conclude that everything has already fallen apart.  But here’s one more thing to imagine: Did you ever see the guy who runs out in front of the lemmings as they scramble headlong towards the cliff?  Well, just in case you’ve never seen that then let me tell you what happens.  The poor fool is waving his hands and yelling as loud as he can and the lemmings just keep coming and coming and then they make a mad dash around him and just then the man whips around to see the lemmings as they run (each and every last one of them) off the cliff and into the great abyss below.