Cleanwaterforum: Clean Water for Life: 2009 Failed States Index and Water

Cleanwaterforum : A forum to discuss how to achieve universal access to safe, physically accessible, sufficient and affordable, clean water.

We set up this blog to discuss issues surrounding universal access to safe, physically accessible, sufficient and affordable clean water. These issues include, but are not limited to: 1) whether access to clean water should be enshrined as a fundamental human right; 2) how to respond to the increasingly prevalent treatment of water as a commodity rather than a public good (corporate social responsibility and water); 3) clean water as global health issue; 4) clean water as a poverty issue; 5) clean water as a global security issue; 6) clean water as a gender issue.

Monday, August 17, 2009

2009 Failed States Index and Water

In a recent issue of Foreign Policy Magazine, the Failed States Index compiled by the Fund for Peace and FP examines how climate change is predicted to increase the probability of conflict especially in already unstable or failing states. Notably, author Stephan Faris argues that water is already undermining stability in Pakistan - water shortages have led to food shortages and the deployment of troops to guard wheat supplies. The Himalayas provide water for much of southeast Asia and as glaciers melt and volume of runoff decreases, tensions with neighboring India are expected to rise as both countries compete with each other over water - Pakistan vociferously opposes damming and fears that India would dam high mountain waters could lead to conflict.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/06/22/failed_states_index_the_last_straw