In July 2020, Ethiopia's ongoing construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River is nearing completion,Water storage has begun.The Blue Nile River is a tributary of the Nile River. The Blue Nile River, which has its source in Lake Tana in Ethiopia, is a tributary of the Nile River, and during the rainy season 8Supply a percentage of the total.The Nile River has long been a symbol of Egypt and an essential part of the agriculture and economy of Northeast Africa. The Nile River has long been a symbol of Egypt, and it is vital to the agriculture and economy of Northeast Africa.pointing outThe first time I saw a new company, I was surprised at how much I had to pay.

These problems surrounding water have been increasing since the beginning of the 2000s and tend to become more serious. This is due to factors such as global population growth and climate change. Not only in Northeast Africa, water shortages and conflicts over the right to use rivers and lakes are becoming a source of conflict around the world. Furthermore, once conflicts occur, water resources can be lost through attacks and other means, and water resources themselves can become "weapons" in the conflict. With the frequency and scale of conflicts over water expected to worsen in the future, is the Japanese media aware of this problem and trend and paying sufficient attention to it in their international reporting?

Dried out canal, Rajasthan, India (Photo: Editor GoI Monitor/ Flickr.com [CC-BY-SA-2.0])

Global Water Shortage Issues

According to data from the World Resources Institute (WRI) in the United States, in 17 countries where a quarter of the world's population liveswater stress(WATER STRESS) is at a very high level (*1). Water stress refers to the fact that there are periods when demand for water exceeds supply, and very high indicates that the amount of water used for agricultural, industrial, and domestic purposes in a year accounts for more than 80% of the available water resources. Under these circumstances, water resources could be depleted if the supply of water resources becomes unstable. Currently, agriculture is the sector that uses the most water resources. Globally, agriculture accounts for 70% of all water resources withdrawn. For example, 15,400 liters of water are needed to produce a kilo of beef, 4,325 liters for poultry, and 1,644 liters in grainuseThe following is a list of the minimum water requirements for a healthy life. As a point of reference, the minimum amount of water a person needs to live a healthy life is50 litersIn the past 50 years, the amount of water consumed by households around the world has increased by 4 billion people. By the way, the amount of water consumed by households around the world has increased by 4 billion people in the past 50 years.six timesand the amount of water consumed by industry and agriculture tripled and doubled, respectively.

World Resources Institute (Aqueduct) based on data from

World Health Organization.dataAccording to the "Mere Old Man," one in three people in the world do not have access to running water at home and obtain water from wells, sources, rivers, or lakes away from their residences. In addition, about 2 billion people use drinking water that is contaminated with wastewater. If current trends continue, 2025By the year 2020, as much as half of the world's population will live in areas of high water stress.However, the cause of water stress is not only the increase in population and economic activity, but also climate change. Rising temperatures, decreasing precipitation, and worsening desertification have led to what has been called the world's largest drought in recorded history. In the future, drier regions of the earth will become drier and wetter regions will experience more precipitation.PredictedWRI's index of water stress is very high17.of the country,12countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The region includesThe world's largest freshwater basin, with about 7.5% of the world's population, is home to about 7.5% of the world's freshwaterOnly 1.4%.In this region, where armed conflicts are concentrated, water shortages are reportedly a problem, causing conflict and friction.

Pacific Institute, Inc.Pacific Institute(676 total incidents of conflict and violence over water in the 20-year period from 2000 to 2019).Recorded cases.The number of cases is about two thirds (466). About two-thirds of that number (466)(case).2010The worsening of water resources and conflict issues is evident, as they have been occurring since 2006. The regions with the highest number of incidents are the countries of West Asia (Middle East), mainly concentrated in Yemen, Iraq and Syria. In particular, Yemen has the highest number of recorded cases,26percent (131 cases), and in 2015, the Saudi Arabia-led coalitionmilitary interventionThe situation has particularly worsened since then. The next region with the most incidents is sub-Saharan Africa, with Mali, Kenya, and Somalia linked to many conflicts. Another high incident zone is South Asia, where friction between India and Pakistan is prominent. The following section presents three patterns of the relationship between water and conflict, with examples.

Water issues triggering conflicts

Humans have long been involved in conflicts over various resources, and water resources are no exception. Today, population growth and global warming have further exacerbated water scarcity conditions, often resulting in conflicts. These causes include conflicts over water wells at the household and village level, demonstrations over water shortages resulting from pollution and inadequate water supply deployments, and even between countries over the right to use water resources such as rivers and dams. Conflicts are particularly often triggered in areas of high water stress, and examples from Kenya, Syria, and Kyrgyzstan are presented here.

In Kenya's arid northern region, access to water resources is often a source of conflict, with about 140 people killed in 10 incidents documented by the Pacific Institute since 2010. Most incidents have occurred between grain-producing farmers and transhumant pastoralists. This conflict has been going on for many years, but climate change and the distribution and management of water resources inquestion (e.g. on a test)The situation has been exacerbated by the lack of water, and in some cases, for example, access to and benefits brought by newly constructed water-related infrastructure in the face of water scarcity have led to conflicts.

Syria is also linked to water resources and conflict: between 2006 and 2011, SyriaLargest drought in historyBy 2009, about 800,000 people had lost their jobs and food due to crop failure, and the harvests of staple wheat and barley had declined by 47% and 67%, respectively. In addition, water problems brought on by the drought became more severe due to government agricultural policies and inefficient surface irrigation used by many of the farmers. As a result, by 2011, approximately 1.5 million people had been displaced from rural areas to the cities and camps surrounding them, in response to the famine and recession caused by the drought, and to government corruption.antigovernment demonstrationoccurred in the capital Damascus and the city of Aleppo in March 2011. The "Arab Spring (revolutionary wave in the Arab world, 2010-2011)This demonstration, which was also part of the "The Syrian Conflict," is considered as the starting point of the Syrian conflict.

Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia is also suffering from water shortages. The conflict over water from the Narwin and Karadarya rivers, which flow through the region, is intensifying in the rural villages of the Fergana Basin, which stretches from eastern Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This conflict crosses national borders,2018The situation became more serious due to the Canal water flows from Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan, but the former restricted the amount of water available, leading to violence and reported killings. Furthermore, Kyrgyzstan is building a dam on the Narwin River, which flows into Uzbekistan, to solve its own water problems.I have a plan.Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan protests against the Kyrgyz dam, which could escalate into conflict.

Water Resources Compromised by Conflict

As a result of an armed conflict, people may be harmed directly or indirectly (intentionally or unintentionally). For example, water resources are of high strategic value in times of conflict, and wells, water treatment plants, water storage tanks, etc. may be targeted to cut off the enemy's water supply. Even if water resources are not targeted, water-related facilities may be destroyed by large-scale bombing or other means, or water may become unavailable due to contamination during conflict. The cases of Yemen, Ukraine, and Colombia are presented here.

Yemen: safe water (Photo: EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid/Flickr.com [CC-BY-SA-2.0]

The Yemen conflict is particularly prominent in this issue, a result of the conflict,2015At the time ofMore than 1.3 millionhad made access to clean water impossible; since 2015, the Pacific Institute has been targeting water systems, water treatment plants, and other water-related facilities.121 casesrecorded. This represents about a quarter of all incidents worldwide since 2010. Mainly Saudi Arabia has beennumerous air raidsThe water supply in the city, which is controlled by a rebel group known as the Houthis, has been almost completely destroyed by the In this state of affairs, the only thing many citizens can rely on are privately owned water tankers. However, in addition to water shortages, gasoline shortages have dramatically increased the cost of transporting water, and as of 2018, about1.93 millionwere unable to buy water. In addition, water shortages caused by the disconnected water supply led to a public health crisis and an enormous increase in cholera and other waterborne diseases in the country.

Water resources have also been an issue in the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has been ongoing since 2014. Approximately 2.3 million people have lost access to clean water due to the conflict, albeit temporarily, orDanger of losingexposed to the situation. In the Donetsk Basin, which is at the center of the conflict, utilities such as water pipes and transmission lines become targets for belligerents. in 2017, water treatment plants were continuously bombarded, and utilities around the city of Donetsk were shut down for more than 24 hours.Stopped.The Donetsk Basin is the largest water supply system in the Donetsk Basin. The majority of the water supply system in the Donetsk Basin is 70Because it was installed two years ago,Routine maintenanceis necessarybut the water department staff can only make temporary repairs in between bombardments, and contamination of drinking water caused by water supply failures is only a matter of time.

Water resources have also been the target of attacks in Colombia's conflict. between government forces and paramilitary groups and rebel groups.disputehas been unfolding for 60 years, including in 2014, when waterways were attacked by rebels (FARC) in Central Colombia, leaving approximately 200,000 people without access to clean water. In addition, in 2015The water treatment plant in the city of Algeciras in the yearIn one week.twicebeing attackedand near the Mira River, as rebels bombed an oil transport pipeline,Oil in the river is about10,000 barrelsbe beyond one's controlFlushed.The pollution has caused a total of approximately 15,000 tons of water to be lost from the Mira River. Due to this pollution, approximately 15% of the water resources that rely on water from the Mira River10,000,000 people.18We were unable to replenish clean water for two days.

Water resources as a weapon of conflict

Finally, I would like to mention a few cases where water is used as a weapon in conflict. This includes intentionally restricting water resources by causing a state of water scarcity, polluting rivers, or destroying or releasing water from dams and other structures in order to cause flooding. The impact of such incidents is very large, not only on people, but also on the environment.greatdamage. Here are some examples from Iraq/Syria, India/Pakistan, and Israel/Palestine. 

The Islamic State (IS), which temporarily controlled parts of Iraq and Syria, is believed to have frequently used water as a weapon.2016At the time of the IS controlled many of the major dams in Iraq and Syria and came to control the water resources of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. It used those dams, on the one hand, to restrict water distribution to hostile farming communities and, on the other, to release water from the dams to evacuate people living in downstream areas. During the battle in the city of Mosul, IS cut off the water supply in East Mosul by cutting power to several water stations against the advancing Iraqi forces. Civilians were evacuated to IS-controlled areas to replenish their water supplies, and eventually IShuman shieldIt was used as a

Mosul Dam, the largest dam in Iraq (Photo: Rehman Abubakr/ [ [CC-BY-SA-4.0], via Wikimedia Commons)

Water is also reportedly being used as a weapon in South Asia. Water resources were also a weapon of contention in the conflict over Kashmir between Pakistan and India: in February 2019, militants allegedly backed by Pakistan bombed an Indian army bus, killing 40 people. In response, the Indian government has been working on the Indus River, which flows from India to Pakistan.stem the flowThe government threatened to do so. Also later in August, the Pakistani government accused the Indian government of unilaterally releasing water from a dam on a tributary of the Indus River, causing flooding in areas of Pakistan downstream.Criticisms.The two governments are bound by an agreement to share water resources and flow information on the Indus River. Pakistan, however, claimed that India's actions violated the agreement and were an act of war.

Water resources are also a major issue between Israel and Palestine, and are noted as one of Israel's weapons. For example, the Israeli government has virtually blockaded the Gaza Strip, controlling the transportation of all kinds of goods and other activities. The water supply system cannot even be maintained, and the people living there97% of 2 millionare without access to clean water. Also, of Palestinians living in the West Bank occupied by Israeli forces,294,000 peoplehave limited access to water. The refusal to install or destruction of water facilities to displace Palestinians and expand Israeli settler areas has oftenReported.The following is a list of the most common problems with the

Unreported Water and Conflicts

As mentioned above, conflicts over water take many forms and have been increasing in number and intensity in recent years. Furthermore, these conflicts are not limited to one region, but are a worldwide problem as climate change and other factors reduce the amount of water available. Are the Japanese media aware of this reality and are they reporting on it in a way that is commensurate with its severity?

To explore this question, we researched and analyzed articles on water and conflict that appeared in the international pages of the Yomiuri Shimbun (*2) from 2010 to December 31, 2019. However, few pertinent articles were found: over the 10-year period, only 13 articles mentioned the issue of water and conflict, and only one or two articles per year. Furthermore, of these 13 articles, only two were centered on water and conflict, and the rest only included water issues among several elements of conflict. Given the severity of the water conflict, it is clear that very few

Ethiopia. People around a newly constructed well (Photo: Julien Harneis / Flickr.com [CC BY-SA 2.0]

Next, we would like to look at the 13 articles that mention water conflicts by region. Let's look first at the Middle East and North Africa region, where water stress is the most serious problem. There have been five articles related to this region in the past 10 years. Of those, 1 article focused on water and conflict.There were only two, and they were about Israeli-Palestinian and Jordanian issues over water levels and withdrawals from the Dead Sea and the Jordan River.Other references to water issues in the articles included two on Syria and one each on Iraq and the Gaza Strip in Palestine. There was no mention of Yemen, which has the most severe link between water and conflict in the world.

What about water sources and conflicts in Asia? Seven articles were published that mentioned water conflicts in the region. Among them, friction between China and India over Tibetan water sources was the central theme of one short article, which was about India's protest in 2013 against a Chinese dam project with no prior explanation. Other articles were on conflicts and included water issues as part of the story; three articles were on the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. The remaining articles were about China's Uyghur Autonomous Region and Vietnam. There were no references to Afghanistan or Central Asian countries where the relationship between water resources and conflict is an issue.

As for the African continent, where water problems are severe, the only mention in the decade was an article on South Sudan (6/19/2014), with the sentence "Displaced people in UN facilities are only supplied with about one-seventh of their sanitary water needs." There was also no mention of Europe and the Americas.

summary

For those who live in places where water stress is low and supplies are stable, it is hard to imagine such concerns as "we don't have enough water," "maybe tomorrow we won't get water from the tap," or "if we don't fight, we won't get water." However, people living in the worldone thirdare suffering from such a situation. The next big war will be over water," he said.pointing outAlthough the "water conflict" is often mentioned, water resource-related conflicts are already frequent and increasing in many parts of the world at this time. If the trends described in this article continue, even larger conflicts, as feared, may not be far behind. However, this does not mean that we cannot turn back from this point. If we focus on countermeasures,water problemsis something that can be solved. However, if we do not know about the current situation, we will not move toward countermeasures. As far as the Japanese press is concerned, there is almost no information on water and conflict. Perhaps we can start by improving this lack of information.

*1: For WRI, the five water stress levels are: low, somewhat low, somewhat high, high, and very high. The 17 countries with very high water stress are: Qatar, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, United Arab Emirates, San Marino, Bahrain, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Oman and Botswana .

*2: The following keywords were searched in the morning edition of the national (Tokyo) newspaper: water, pollution, conflict, water source, fighting, friction, and resources. Only articles related to water and conflict were picked up from among them. 

Writer: Yosif Ayanski

Graphics by Yow Shuning

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