Water Security and Peace Report

The Water Security and Peace report, which is the principal output of the joint PCCP: Water for Peace initiative, traces the trends in both conflicts and cooperation over water resources from the beginnings of human civilization to the modern day challenges of big dams, climate change and mega-cities. Drawing on the many research papers, case studies, identified tools and mechanisms and field work of the joint programme, this report provides a unique account and analysis of the myriad intricate and interdependent links between water, security and peace.

The report clearly shows that there has always been competition, and sometimes conflict, over water since the earliest human settlements; but what matters most in preventing conflicts is a community's capacity to cope with and adapt to water stress, and the institutions available to them to deal with competition between users. Both our capacities and institutions have evolved over the centuries, but while the need to develop the technical means to address shortages through diversion or storage of water has always received attention and resources, less focus has been placed on human capacity building and the development of effective institutions to manage water wisely and equitably. This neglect of the institutional side is largely responsible for spawning the water management crisis experienced across the world today.

Chapter 1 of the report examines the question of competition for water. Conflicts over water are looked upon as consisting of three key spheres: hydrosphere, economic and political. There is a strong potential conflict between the ecosystems' needs for water and human needs. Even within the context of human needs, conflicts over water are often affected by problems in the economic and political spheres as much as those generated within the water sphere itself. Inequities are increasing between the rich who can afford to cope and the poor who cannot. This has led some to claim that water wars are inevitable, but a counter-movement claims that learning to co-operate in sharing water will build peace.

The middle chapters of the report provide the historical, ideological and legal foundations of the issue, and identify the most important tendencies observed in international water conflicts and cooperation initiatives. These chapters include: A History of Man and Water, that demonstrates that in the past societies have always found ways to co-operate over water management. A chapter on Ethics - The Ideal and Only Long -Term Solution makes the case that sustainable solutions must be based on the human values of justice and equity. In Legal Approaches - Basic but Insufficient and Trends - Emerging Issues and Opportunities, it is shown that while a legal framework does exist to settle disputes, conflicts can be resolved by other mechanisms before they escalate. The chapter on Public Participation - a Key Trend shows that the involvement of civil society is now valued and used increasingly to reach sustainable peaceful solutions to the management of water.

Chapter 7, Obstacles to Co-operation, notes that the challenges faced include potential for socio-economic political disturbances; poverty and socio-economic underdevelopment; lack of information; inequalities in water allocation, knowledge, and military force; geographic advantages; and weakness of globally ratified laws and conventions, especially enforcement mechanisms. The water sector suffers greatly from weak institutions, and in particular from the lack of democracy and good governance, absence of political will, relative lack of trained human capacity and insufficient financial and other support for the development of institutions.

Decision-makers cannot act everywhere at once. It will therefore be useful to identify those places where action can head off potential conflict and build the capacity of enduring institutions. Much research has already been done to identify the factors that should be included in such indicators. These are discussed in Chapter 8, Indicators of Potential for Co-operation. In Chapter 9, Lessons Learned from Recent Experience, examples from several basins studied show that co-operation is an iterative process that begins with sharing information and building trust and confidence.

Institutions with clear mandates must be created for efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability. These are discussed in Chapter 10, The Critical Role of Institutions. Changing institutions means changing value systems and therefore takes time - perhaps generations. However, some of the problems faced today cry out for faster solutions - which is why the report also describes the basket of tools and mechanisms, identified by the PCCP: Water for Peace exercise, that can be used to develop trust and build the institutions that secure co-operation.

History and a review of experience in the past one hundred years both demonstrate that it is possible to manage the scarce resource that is water so that all benefit in a just and equitable manner. There remain many challenges ahead that emerge from changing global physical systems and in reaction to our evolving socio-economic and political systems. However, as initiatives such as PCCP: Water for Peace build the capacity and resilience needed to cope with these challenges, and identify future actions to add to our toolbox. Chapter 12, Towards the Future, demonstrates that there is every reason to hope that the next generations will live in a world with Water Peace.

William J. Cosgrove

Canada

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