Water Wars

I became aware of this issue several years ago when I lived in New Mexico. In a land of little water, where people fight over arroyos and water rights, the focus on water is understandable. At that time, I read several articles on the potential for world warfare over dwindling water supplies.

The issue was recemtly discussed at the economic summit in Davos. ...

According to Times Online:

A session on water scarcity was also quite an eye-opener. Forget about "peak oil" — the claim that oil production has peaked and we are already starting to run out. It is time to start worrying about "peak water".

The Pontifical Academy of Sciences held a meeting to discuss this issue and the potential that conflicts over water have for world peace:

“In many parts of the world, there is not a real abundance of water,” said Paul Crutzen, a Dutch chemist who won a Nobel Prize in 1995 for his study of the ozone layer. “Furthermore, human impact is changing the biosphere and the composition of the atmosphere, which will have repercussions on the availability of water in the future.”