Comments on: International issues: water and Darfur http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2007/06/international-issues-water-and-darfur.htm Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:02:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: a2 http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2007/06/international-issues-water-and-darfur.htm/comment-page-1#comment-528 a2 Sat, 09 Jun 2007 10:32:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp28/?p=1203#comment-528 Drinking water is a manufactured product - and is ultimately only limited by how much you can afford to make. The most expensive method of production is desalination of seawater, which I think can currently be done at about $0.50-$1 per thousand litres. Basic requirements are about 50 litres per person per day for household use, and about six times that if you include all the agricultural and industrial uses needed to support civilisation. That would mean a dollar would support a person for three days, and each person needs about $110 a year, about £50, at most (plus transport to where it is needed). It is impossible that water scarcity could make it any more expensive than that in the long run, although you could get short term shortages, and of course government subsidies frequently distort the market causing local water shortages. Since there are many cheaper water resources around, the price will generally be far below that. It's not nearly valuable enough to fight a war over.<br/><br/>The fundamental problem is poverty - many people cannot afford even a third of a dollar a day - and politics - just because they <i>can</i> supply water to the people doesn't mean they <i>will</i>. The only solution is to promote economic development and industry, which will create the resources needed for people to live sustainably. Drinking water is a manufactured product – and is ultimately only limited by how much you can afford to make. The most expensive method of production is desalination of seawater, which I think can currently be done at about $0.50-$1 per thousand litres. Basic requirements are about 50 litres per person per day for household use, and about six times that if you include all the agricultural and industrial uses needed to support civilisation. That would mean a dollar would support a person for three days, and each person needs about $110 a year, about £50, at most (plus transport to where it is needed). It is impossible that water scarcity could make it any more expensive than that in the long run, although you could get short term shortages, and of course government subsidies frequently distort the market causing local water shortages. Since there are many cheaper water resources around, the price will generally be far below that. It’s not nearly valuable enough to fight a war over.

The fundamental problem is poverty – many people cannot afford even a third of a dollar a day – and politics – just because they can supply water to the people doesn’t mean they will. The only solution is to promote economic development and industry, which will create the resources needed for people to live sustainably.

]]> By: Edis http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2007/06/international-issues-water-and-darfur.htm/comment-page-1#comment-527 Edis Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:33:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp28/?p=1203#comment-527 In 1935 the Governor of Arizona sent the Arizona National Guard to prevent California building a dam on the Colorado River which he said would "steal Arizona's water". In effect he threatened to go to war with another US State. <br/><br/>The Parker Dam was eventually built and the resultant reservoir is Lake Hasavu of London Bridge fame.<br/><br/>The politics of water here are most instructive... One thing to note is that the USA has two entirely different traditions of Water Law, one in the eastern States simiar to European traditions of riparian management, one in the western States which give absolute extraction rights to the first claimants of a water resource, the ownership of any associated land being what it may. When dealing with US participants in international discussions it is as well to enquire as to which tradition they lean towards. In 1935 the Governor of Arizona sent the Arizona National Guard to prevent California building a dam on the Colorado River which he said would “steal Arizona’s water”. In effect he threatened to go to war with another US State.

The Parker Dam was eventually built and the resultant reservoir is Lake Hasavu of London Bridge fame.

The politics of water here are most instructive… One thing to note is that the USA has two entirely different traditions of Water Law, one in the eastern States simiar to European traditions of riparian management, one in the western States which give absolute extraction rights to the first claimants of a water resource, the ownership of any associated land being what it may. When dealing with US participants in international discussions it is as well to enquire as to which tradition they lean towards.

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