Water Competition

Competition for water in several major river basins around the world can only worsen as populations continue to grow.

The Nile, Ganges, Yellow River, Yangtze, Jordan, Mekong are just a few examples of rivers that are either the primary or solitary water source for more than one nation.

The needs of each country are distinguished by population, affluence and industry. Where the population of a particular country falls on the food chain is also a major factor determining the water needs of that country. As  populations move up the food chain they become more dependent upon livestock, for example, and thus require more water.

This competition can only intensify as major industrial nations vie for market share. China, which has a huge population, and huge demands as an industrial giant, requires water from the Mekong River and could deny the rice cultures of Southeast Asia much needed water to which they are certainly entitled.

As water tables fall across the globe and the demand for water on all continents exceeds the supply from aquifers, Bangladesh is having to negotiate with India to ensure their water supply:

Bangladesh and the political reality | Haqeeqat.Org

2- India has poignantly declined to meet its water sharing obligation with Bangladesh. Bangladesh has 58 trans-boundary rivers, and many of these rivers are fed by the river Ganges that flows from Northern India into Bangladesh. …

Bangladesh and India: Will the Dams “Damage “the Relationship?

They also slammed the government’s role in dealing with India about water issues. India has neither ensured water flow in the Ganges as per the Ganges Treaty nor shared information about Tipaimukh Dam, which is sheer violation of the …

Even within certain countries there can be great disparity in climate. This is obvious in the United States and China which are both large in area and have tremendous diversity within their borders. If you travel by car across the U.S. the topography changes from state to state, especially in the western states. In China the south is very humid while the north is extremely arid.

Across the globe, wells have to dig deeper, rivers are taking longer to reach their destinations and, when they finally arrive  they are greatly depleted; many rivers and lakes are drying completely. The water table diminishes while the population keeps growing.

Many basin countries the world over will have to consider taking measures to curtail their populations or suffer terrible consequences, as if they are not suffering already.

To put things in perspective, China, India and Pakistan alone will increase their populations by almost one billion people by the year 2050  at the current growth rate.

Tagged as: aquifers, Climate change, river, Water Resources, water table