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Water Conflict Scenario

Issue-03, August 2015

Water Source Distribution and Conflict Scenario: Current


and Future Aspect
Shahidul Islam1, Lee Man Djun1, Ting Ching Hung1, Shahnur Begum2
1

Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak


2

TFE Research and Innovation Centre

Abstract
This paper is about the current global water sources distribution and conflict in water
sharing scenario. Global water sources and conflict scenario is designed to address
water source mapping and transboundary water conflict. We collect information on
water crisis, transboundary water sharing, water conflict and water source mapping
and fit into the paper to share with the concerned stakeholders.
Keywords: Water crisis, transboundary water sharing, water conflict, water source mapping.

1.0 Introduction
Water is a vital resource needs for all human activities. Water is an input for daily life
and economy as example: drinking for survival, food growing, industrial product
processing, energy production and many others. However, most supplies come from
surface runoff and ground water. Basically, significant percent human consumption
water is surface water and shallow aquifers (Adzlan et al., 2013). But all water is not
in recycling process.
2.0 Water Consumption and Water Cycle
The water on Earth is not fully recyclable. However, a great deal of water use is nonconsumptive, which means that the significant amount of water is returned to surface
runoff (Postel et al., 1996). A portion of the water is not coming back to mainstream
due to presence of consumptive water. Mainly, consumptive water belongs to
agriculture, human and animal bodies that contribute to reduce the availability of the

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Water Conflict Scenario

Issue-03, August 2015

fresh water. However, recyclable water moves naturally over the ground level that we
can identify by water source and distribution mapping.
2.1 Water Distribution
The water on Earth surface is not distributed evenly. Distribution of global runoff
corresponds poorly to the distribution of the world population (Gizelis and Wooden,
2010). For example, Asia has 69% of world population but it only has 36% of global
runoff. Even though South America has 5% of world population with 25% runoff but
much of runoff is inaccessible. As an example, Amazon River contains 15% of runoff
and only accessible to 0.4% of world population (25 million people). It is recorded
that about 27% of global runoff (11,100 km3) is renewable source water and base river
flow (Giordano, et al., 2002). The other part is flood water and very difficult to utilize.
This scenario is linking with global water conflict and becoming barrier to future
economic growth.

In the future, fresh water will be a critical limiting resource for many regions. About
one-third of the world's population lives in water stress countries and experiencing
shortage of water. As an example in Asia, 69% of world population living with 36% of
water source but population size is increasing within this limited source of water; this
scenario suggest that by the year 2025 most of the Asian country will be water-poor.
In the aspect of Africa, historically this region is experiencing water shortage.
The historical water consumption is listed by Wolf (1998) which is presented in Table
1.
Table 1: Chronological Events Related to Human Water Use
Timeline
12,000 years

Events
Hunter-gatherers continually return to fertile river valleys

ago
7,000 years. ago

Water shortages spur humans to invent irrigation


2

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Water Conflict Scenario

1,100 years ago


Mid 1800's

Issue-03, August 2015

The collapse of Mayan civilization due to drought


Faecal contamination of surface water causes severe health
problems (typhoid, cholera) in some major North American cities,

1858

notably Chicago
"Year of the Great Stink" in London, due to sewage and wastes in

Late 1800s-

Thames
Dams became popular as a water management tool

early 1900
1900s

The green revolution strengthens human dependency on irrigation

World War II
1972

for agriculture
Water quality impacted by industrial and agricultural chemicals
Clean Water Act passed; humans recognize need to protect water

The sources of water disputes are quality and quantity (Wolf, 1998). It is reported that
water get unusable due to agriculture and industrial pollution, high level of salt. It is
also mentioned that low quality water has serious effect on human and ecosystem
(Hishammudin et. al., 2013). It is also evident that people tend to avoid poor quality
water and it appears as source of water shortage and water conflict. Whether water
quality is good or accessible by the people, significant percentage of water flowing
through transboundary.
2.2 Water Sharing and Conflict
Water sharing can cause conflict. About 50% of all available water is transboundary
which means water located in the rivers, lakes or groundwater systems is sharing by
two or more countries as an example Indu-Bangla, Indu-Pak water basins. Sharing of
this water is often troublesome; some highlighted events of transboundary water
conflict is shown in Table 2 (Wolf, 1998; Conca, 2006; Kameri-Mbote, 2007). It is
reported that around two thirds of the worlds transboundary rivers lack agreements
between the countries for sharing. This situation often linked to political conflicts in
the sharing regions (Reuveny, 2007). Hence, transboundary water has appeared the
reasons conflict and even war. Water sharing is often appears a source of cooperation,

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Water Conflict Scenario

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even in situations of political tension (Bernauer and Kalbhenn, 2010). For example,
India and Pakistan have worked together in the management of the Indus River despite
fighting three wars during the last fifty years. Israelis and Palestinians also cooperate
on water in spite of their political conflict. Transboundary river could be a sources of
regional economic, environmental and social cooperation (Sarsons, 2015).
Table 2: Transboundary Water Conflict
Time
1948-1960

Events
Disputes over Indus basin water sharing lead to Indus Water

1951-1953

Treaty between India and Pakistan.


Sporadic fire exchange over Huleh basin, demilitarized zone

1958

between Syria and Israel.


Tensions between Sudan and Egypt over Nile waters lead to

1963-1964

Nile Water Treaty.


Border skirmishes between Somalia and Ethiopia over critical
water and oil resources in Ogaden desert. Hundreds were killed

1965-1966

before cease-fire negotiations.


Israel and Syria exchange fire over an out of basin diversion
plan from Sea of Galilee. Construction plan of Syria is halted in

1975

July 1966.
Tension risen between Iraq and Syria over low flow year along
the Euphrates. Military troops were reportedly transfer between

1989-1991

their mutual borders.


Sporadic violence broke out as the result of grazing rights along
Senegal River, boundary between Mauritania and Senegal.

2.3 Strategy to Reduce Water Conflict


Water peace making strategies are essential to reduce water conflicts. Efforts such as
strengthening human right to water could create regional identities and institutionalize
cooperation over a wide range of water issues (Conca, 2006). International waters
should be distributed fairly among the sharing countries based on criteria such as
population density, climatic conditions, degree of pollution and environment

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Water Conflict Scenario

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sustainability instead of military and political strength. The Helsinki Rules provides
guideline for proper utilization and administration of international rivers (El-Fadel et
al., 2003). At the same time, however, diplomacy process too often dividing water
supplies for infrastructure projects such as building dams and reducing water conflicts
while neglecting the needs of the people living in the basin. As a result, this may
accelerate exploitation of water resources and destroy the source of economy and
environment of that area. Therefore, all relevant stakeholders must cooperate to
formulate plan in accordance to economic and environmental sustainability to reduce
water conflict.
3.0 Conclusion
This study presents water source mapping, water conflict and solution to reduce
conflict. Nowadays, water conflict involving military action is uncivilized and should
be avoided at all cost. Governments, policy makers and relevant stakeholders must cooperate to formulate water peace strategies to reduce water conflicts without
sacrificing economic and environmental sustainability. The findings of this paper
indicate that our water is not recyclable and quality of runoff water is deteriorating.
Soon the available runoff water will be insignificant to support growing world
population. Therefore, a holistic approach is essential including redefining the water
use, water productivity performance, capacity utilization of water production
resources, and sustainability in economy and environment (Shahidul et al., 2015). In
this regards, future research should design to increase water production capacity
utilization and improve quality of output water to reduce global water conflict.
References
Giordano, M., Giordano., M. and Wolf, A. (2002), The geography of water conflict
and cooperation: internal pressures and international manifestations, The
Geographical Journal, Vol. 168, No. 4, pp.293-312.
Wolf, A.T. (1998), Conflict and cooperation along international waterways, Water
Policy, Vol.1, pp.251-265.
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Wolf, A. T., Kramer, A., Carius, A., and Dabelko, G. D. (2005), Managing water
conflict and cooperation, State of the World 2005: Redefining Global Security, pp.
80-95.
Reuveny, R. (2007), Climate change-induced migration and violent conflict,
Political Geography, Vol. 26, pp. 656-673.
Sarsons, H. (2015), Rainfall and conflict: a cautionary tale, Journal of Development
Economics, Vol. 115, pp. 62-72.
Hishamuddin, A.H., Azrin, M.H.S., Adzlan, A.F.K., Shahidul, M.I., S.T. Syed Shazali,
Abdullah Y., C.H. Ting, and W.H. Ang. (2013). An Insight Study on Water Quality
and Environment in Perspective of Traditional Malaysian Villages, EnCon 2013, 6th
Engineering Conference, "Energy and Environment" 2nd -4th July 2013, Kuching
Sarawak.
Adzlan A.F. K., Shahidul, M.I., Azrin, M. M. S., Hishammudin Afifi. H. , Syed
Tarmizi . S.T., Abdullah Yassin,(2013), Investigation on Water Consumption Pattern
in Traditional Malaysian Kampung: An Insight Study on Water and Environmental
Issues, EnCon 2013, 6th Engineering Conference, "Energy and Environment" 2nd -4th
July 2013, Kuching Sarawak
Bernauer, T., Kalbhenn, A. (2010), The politics of international freshwater
resources, International Studies Encyclopedia, Vol. IX, pp. 58005821.
Gizelis, T.I., Wooden, A.E. (2010), Water resources, institutions, & intrastate
conflict, Political Geography 29, pp. 444453.
Postel, S. L., Daily, G. C., & Ehrlich, P. R. (1996), Human appropriation of
renewable fresh water. Science-AAAS-Weekly Paper Edition, Vol. 271 No. 5250, pp.
785-787
Conca, K. (2006). The new face of water conflict (Vol. 3). Woodrow Wilson
International Center for Scholars.
El-Fadel, M., El-Sayegh, Y., El-Fadl, K., & Khorbotly, D. (2003), The Nile River
Basin: A case study in surface water conflict resolution, Journal of Natural
Resources and Life Sciences Education, Vol. 32, pp.107-117.

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Water Conflict Scenario

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Kameri-Mbote, P. G. (2007). Water, ConfliCt, and Cooperation: lessons from the nile
river Basin. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Dabelko, D., & Aaron, T. (2004), Water, conflict, and cooperation, Environmental
Change and Security Project Report, Vol. 10, pp. 60-66.
Shahidul, I., Ting C.H., Lee, M.D., Begum, S. (2015), Seawater desalination for
environment and economic sustainability: a case study at Sadong Jaya pilot plant,
International Journal of Engineering Research and Management (IJERM), Vol. 2,
No.8, pp. 69-74.
About the Authors
Dr. Shahidul Islam is a Professor of Manufacturing operations research and sustainability. He is
working at Faculty of Engineering in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. He authored many papers and
book on Operations Research relating to manufacturing productivity, technical efficiency,
economic efficiency, and value added process. The focusing areas of his research and publication
are input-outputs of production process of industrial goods, electricity, water desalination, water
demineralization, industrial waste water. He possessed special skills in optimization of inputs for
maximizing the output for achieving sustainable economic performance and environmental
sustainability. He got 8 awards including two Gold medals for performing higher value added
research and innovation.
Lee Man Djun has Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak graduated in 2013. Currently he is a PhD research student in
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. His postgraduate study is about capacity utilization of water
desalination machineries which giving huge impact on water desalination production performance.
He has published quite a number of papers in water desalination. His field of research is
manufacturing operations sustainability. His recent work and publication can be found at Google
Scholar.
Ting Ching Hung has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing
Engineering from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak graduated in 2012. His final year project was

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Water Conflict Scenario

Issue-03, August 2015

process optimization of water desalination. Currently he is a research student in Universiti


Malaysia Sarawak. His postgraduate study is about preventive maintenance in water desalination.
The aim of his career is to work for production economics in the field of water treatment. His work
is giving huge impact on water desalination machinery performance. He published quite a number
of papers in water desalination productivity and performance.
Shahnur Begum is a professional physician and public health specialist. She graduated in MPH
and Dr PH from the University Malaysia Sarawak and MBBS from Dhaka Medical College
Bangladesh. Her field of research interest is health economics with special focus on cost
effectiveness of investment in health services, measuring performance of health service provider
units and health service supply chain, and human capital development for public health sector. Dr.
Shahnur has written a few numbers of articles on her research which has been printed in different
magazines and research issues. She is actively involved in safe water production research. She is a
professional member in the Bangladesh medical association and attached with many professional
and research organizations.

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