Water.ca - The Water Chronicles

July 30, 2010

Comment on this Report

Editor's Note
Holy Water Wars
After pouring over the maps below, it seems the stage could be perfectly set for the modern crusades. Most Muslims live in the most water-stressed, densely populated and intensely religious countries of the world. The Holy Quran states that "from water every living creature was created". Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) declared that all people have free access to water. Hot Spots include: Middle East, India-Pakistan-Kashmir, Aral Sea Region, Turkey-Syria-Iraq, involving Muslims with either Jews, Hindus, Christians or even Sunni-Shiite in conflicting water claims.(See details in left column). Holy water wars!
dechene.water@gmail.com

OUR RESEARCH SO FAR

MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS

According to the 2005 survey of Encyclopædia Britannica, the vast majority of religious and spiritual adherents follow Christianity (33% of world population), Islam (20%), Hinduism (13%), Chinese folk religion (6.3%) or Buddhism (5.9%). The irreligious and atheists make up about 14%, and about 4% follow indigenous tribal religions. Wikipedia

The maps below show the distribution of religious group around the world; the relative importance of religion by country; the proportion of Christianity and Islam in each country; the population density and aridity of each region.

Predominant religions of the world, mapped by state Wikipedia

Map showing relative importance of religion by country. Based on a 2006-2008 worldwide survey by Gallup - Wikipedia

Map showing the relative proportion of Christianity (red) and Islam (green) in each country.- Wikipedia

Watersheds of the World - Aridity - Earth Trends

Watersheds of the World - Population Density - Earth Trends

Other Maps:
World map of World Religions - Mapsorama
The Top 12 Religions of the World - GodWeb

5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds - Maps of War

RELIGION, WATER & CONFLICT

Water resources have rarely, if ever, been the sole source of violent conflict or war. But this fact has led some international security experts to ignore or belittle the complex and real relationships between water and security. In fact, there is a long and highly informative history of conflicts and tensions over water resources, the use of water systems as weapons during war, and the targeting of water systems during conflicts caused by other factors.

Conflicts may stem from the drive to possess or control another nation’s water resources, thus making water systems and resources a political or military goal. Inequitable distribution and use of water resources, sometimes arising from a water development, may lead to development disputes, heighten the importance of water as a strategic goal or may lead to a degradation of another’s source of water. Conflicts may also arise when water systems are used as instruments of war, either as targets or tools. Pacific Institute
Sea Also: Peak Water - Meena Palaniappan and Peter H. Gleick

Water Conflict Chronology since 3000 BC - Worldwater.org

Those who control power prefer to mask water wars as ethnic and religious conflict. Such camouflaging is easy because regions along rivers are inhabited by pluralistic societies with diverse groups, languages and practices. It is always possible to color water conflicts in such regions as conflict amongst religions and ethnicities In Punjab, an important component of conflicts that led to more than 15,000 deaths during the 1980s was an ongoing discord over the sharing of river waters. But the conflict was characterized as an issue of Sihk separatism. - Water Wars - Vandana Shiva

The Majority of these ethnic conflicts have political, economic and religious roots and connotations. But it most often boils down to competition between those that see themselves as the true 'indigens' of an area, and those that are considered to be more recent 'settlers'. However, whatever the historical justifications, the conflict is always and everywhere about access to scarce resources (Obioha, 2000). This might be farmland, or employment, or access to political power. It could even be jealousy over the provision of water or electricity to one village but not its neighbour. - Climate Change, Population Drift and Violent Conflict - Emeka E. Obioha, Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research

"Water, not unlike religion and ideology, has the power to move millions of people. Since the very birth of human civilization, people have moved to settle close to water. People move when there is too little of it; people move when there is too much of it. People move on it. People write and sing and dance and dream about it. People fight over it. And everybody, everywhere and every day, needs it. We need water for drinking, for cooking, for washing, for food, for industry, for energy, for transport, for rituals, for fun, for life. And it is not only we humans who need it; all life is dependent upon water for its very survival." - Mikhail Gorbachev - Civilization Magazine 2000

Water as Military Target, Tool or Terrrorism
A few of the many such incidents throughout history

Goths and Rome
In the 6th century AD, as the Roman Empire began to decline, the Goths besieged Rome and cut almost all of the aqueducts leading into the city. In 537 AD this siege was successful. The only aqueduct that continued to function was that of the Aqua Virgo, which ran entirely underground.

430 BC - Athens
Military tool
During the second year of the Peloponnesian War in 430 BC when plague broke out in Athens, the Spartans were accused of poisoning the cisterns of the Piraeus, the source of most of Athens' water.

1850s - United States
Development dispute; terrorism
Attack on a New Hampshire dam that impounded water for factories downstream by local residents unhappy over its effect on water levels.

1944 - Germany, Allied forces
Military tool
Germans flooded the Ill River Valley during the Battle of the Bulge (winter 1944-45) creating a lake 16 kilometers long, 3-6 kilometers wide, and 1-2 meters deep, greatly delaying the American Army’s advance toward the Rhine.

1948 - Arabs, Israelis
Military tool
Arab forces cut of West Jerusalem’s water supply in first Arab-Israeli war.

1969 - Israel, Jordan
Military target and tool
Israel, suspicious that Jordan is overdiverting the Yarmouk, leads two raids to destroy the newly-built East Ghor Canal; secret negotiations, mediated by the US, lead to an agreement in 1970.

1980-1988 - Iran, Iraq
Military tool
Iran diverts water to flood Iraqi defense positions.

1984 United States
Terrorism
Members of the Rajneeshee religious cult contaminate a city water supply tank in The Dalles, Oregon, using Salmonella. A community outbreak of over 750 cases occurred in a county that normally reports fewer than five cases per year.

1990 - Iraq, Syria, Turkey
Development dispute, Military tool
The flow of the Euphrates is interrupted for a month as Turkey finishes construction of the Ataturk Dam, part of the Grand Anatolia Project. Syria and Iraq protest that Turkey now has a weapon of war. In mid-1990 Turkish president Turgut Ozal threatens to restrict water flow to Syria to force it to withdraw support for Kurdish rebels operating in southern Turkey.

2001 - China
Development dispute
In an act to protest destruction of fisheries from uncontrolled water pollution, fishermen in northern Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, dammed the canal that carries 90 million tons of industrial wastewater per year for 23 days. The wastewater discharge into the neighboring Shengze Town, Jiangsu Province, killed fish, and threatened people's health.

2003 - Iraq, United States, Others
Military Target
During the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, water systems were reportedly damaged or destroyed by different parties, and major dams were military objectives of the U.S. forces. Damage directly attributable to the war includes vast segments of the water distribution system and the Baghdad water system, damaged by a missile.

Water Conflict Chronology - Worldwater.org -Pacific Institute Data

WATER & RELIGION
Water plays a significant role not only in the five major religions, but also in nearly every recognized religion in history. While each religion may differ in rituals and beliefs, there are some consistent views on water related to the foundation of most religions and the natural significance of water. Water plays a strong role in both life and death for everyone. Many religions recognize this significance and associate it with their own concepts of life and death. For example, many views on creation involve water, and most of those speak of water as the very source of the first existence. Also, water is often the main component of birth rituals and death rituals. /more Michele Stewart - University of Texas

Water is often perceived as a god, goddess or divine agency in religions. Rivers, rain, ponds, lakes, glaciers, hailstorms or snow are some of the forms water may take when interpreted and incorporated in cultural and religious spheres.

Religious water is never neutral and passive. It is considered to have powers and capacities to transform this world, annihilate sins and create holiness. Water carries away pollution and purifies both in a physical and symbolical sense. Water is a living and spiritual matter, working as a mediator between humans and gods. It often represents the border between this world and the other... /more - Helium

Christianity and Water
Water is intrinsically linked to baptism, a public declaration of faith and a sign of welcome into the Christian church. When baptised, one is fully or partially immersed in water, or one’s head may simply be sprinkled with a few drops of water. In the New Testament, the 'living water' or 'water of life' represents the spirit of God, that is, eternal life. /more - International Year of Water 2003

Islam and Water
The value of water in Islam is reflected in the Holy Quran stating that "from water every living creature was created". In addition, Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) declared that all people have free access to water. /more - International Development Research Centre - Canada

Hinduism and Water
The five elements of nature (panchamahabhuta) include earth, water, fire, air and ether (sky). In the graphical depiction of panchamahabhuta, water represented by a circle, symbolises fullness. Primarily water is the building block of life and all the living beings are at the mercy of God, for the water. In India, water has been an object of worship from time immemorial. Water represents the non-manifested substratum from which all manifestations arise. /more - Boloji.com

Judaism and Water
In Judaism ritual washing is intended to restore or maintain a state of ritual purity and its origins can be found in the Torah. These ablutions can be washing the hands, the hands and the feet, or total immersion which must done in 'living water', i.e. the sea, a river, a spring or in a mikveh. The ritual washing of hands is performed before and after meals and on many other occasions. /more - African Water.org

Buddhism and Water
Buddhism was born in the 6th century before the common era from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. As his followers seek spiritual awakening through meditation and wisdom, rites are basically absent from this religion. Water is, however, used in Buddhist funerals: it is poured to overflowing into a bowl placed before the monks and the dead body. /more - International Year of Water 2003
See Also: Brief History of Symbolism in Buddhism

WATER HOT SPOTS

The world's water hotspots - BBC
Excellent overview of major water issues in the world.

Asia-Pacific
In the Cauvery river dispute in Southern India, the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are in conflict over water access. The issue has been complicated by the displacement of local farmers who depend on the water from the river for their livelihood. The waters of the Mekong river are also the centre of major debate in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and China. These countries which share the Mekong are grappling with how to ensure the equitable use of the river’s resources, both internationally and at home. In Thailand and Laos there is internal conflict between advocates and critics of construction of hydroelectric and irrigation dams. Some point to the benefits of generating "clean" energy, prevention of flooding and giving poor farmers who live far from rivers access to water for irrigation. Others point to the displacement of settlements, loss of livelihoods from fishing and environmental damage. - Issues in Social & Human Sciences in Asia-Pacific- UNESCO
See Also: Bewatre of Water Wars - Tibet Sun

Kashmir, India, Pakistan
Kashmir is a mostly mountainous region that has been fought over by Pakistan and India for the past 60 years. The area is sometimes referred to as the “Switzerland of the East” due to its fertile valley and snow-capped mountains. Due to the effects of global climate change the glaciers, whose melt keeps the valley fertile and is the source for many of the regions’ important rivers, are melting, jeopardizing water supplies for the region. There is already conflict between India and Pakistan, as India currently controls the area that is the source of Pakistan’s vital water resources. As a result, there is potential for an already tumultuous situation to become even bloodier as the affects of global climate result in shrinking water supplies and a scramble for control over the remaining water resources.

Both India and Pakistan wish to control the Kashmir territory. Originally it was simply a boarder dispute, with each country wanting the land to enhance their regional control, but today the situation is more dire. With the water resources of both countries jeopardized by global climate change, they are in a race to ensure their countries’ future water security. The situation is more tenuous for Pakistan, as the source of their most important rivers, the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus, begin in the Indian managed half of Kashmir.5a If India had full sovereignty of Kashmir it could hold its enemy at its mercy, as water is absolutely necessary for the survival of a country’s economy, and its people. - Kashmir: Melting Glaciers, Boiling Conflicts - Samantha Hulkower

Middle East
Water is the most precious resource in the Middle East, more important even than oil. Competition for water from the River Jordan was a major cause of the 1967 war. As populations increase, water becomes more scarce, aggravating regional tensions.
With 5% of the world's population trying to survive on 1% of its water, there is strong competition for water in the Middle East.
A series of dry years - together with population growth - has recently increased the pressure. Both Israel and Jordan rely on the River Jordan - but Israel controls it and has cut supplies during times of scarcity.
The level of the Sea of Galilee has dropped in recent years, sparking fears that Israel's main reservoir will become salinated.
The Palestinians - whose water supply is also controlled by Israel - say supplies are intermittent and expensive, and that the underground aquifer which they share with Israel has become depleted and damaged through overuse. Israeli settlers in the West Bank use several times more water than their Palestinian neighbours.
To help ease the crisis, Israel has agreed to buy water from Turkey and is investigating building desalination plants. - BBC

China & Tibet
In 2008, China launched a political crackdown in Tibet. At least some observers have noted the importance of Tibet for the water resources of China, though the political complications between Tibet and China extend far beyond water. As noted: “Tibet is referred to in some circles as the ‘world’s water tower’ — the Tibetan plateau is home to vast reserves of glaciated water, the sources of 10 of the largest rivers in Asia, including the Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong, Brahmaputra, Salween, Hindus and Sutlej among others. By some estimates, the Tibetan plateau is the source of fresh water for fully a quarter of the world’s population.” Conflict Chronology - Worldwater.org

The Aral Sea
The Aral Sea in Central Asia was once the world's fourth biggest inland sea, and one of the world's most fertile regions. But economic mismanagement has turned the area into a toxic desert. The two rivers feeding the sea, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, were diverted in a Soviet scheme to grow cotton in the desert. Between 1962 and 1994, the level of the Aral Sea fell by 16 metres. The surrounding region now has one of the highest infant mortality in the world, and anaemia and cancers caused by chemicals blowing off the dried sea bed are common. World Water Crisis- BBC

Turkey
Turkey has been accused by Syria and Iraq of depriving them of much-needed water, as it continues to build a series of dams along the Euphrates and Tigris. It is also embarking on an ambitious project to sell water from its Manavgat river across the Middle East. World Water Crisis- BBC

Ogallala Aquifer
The Ogallala Aquifer, also known as the High Plains Aquifer, is a vast yet shallow underground water table aquifer located beneath the Great Plains in the United States. One of the world's largest aquifers, it covers an area of approximately 174,000 mi² (450,000 km²) in portions of the eight states of South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.

The Ogallala Aquifer is being depleted at a rate of 12 cubic km (420,000 million ft3 or 9.7 million acre feet) per year, amounting to a total depletion to date of a volume equal to the annual flow of 18 Colorado Rivers. Some estimates say it will dry up in as little as 25 years. Many farmers in the Texas High Plains, which rely particularly on the underground source, are now turning away from irrigated agriculture as they become aware of the hazards of overpumping. Ogallala Aquifer- Wikipedia

Learn more...