乐鱼 体育

Capable of upending rural livelihoods, compromising institutions of governance, and inducing new patterns of migration and crime, global water stress has emerged as one of the principal threats to US national security, said , senior policy advisor at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and editor of WWF鈥檚 new book, , on June 27 at the 乐鱼 体育. Four defense and development leaders 鈥� retired US Marine Corps General James L. Jones; Paula Dobrianksy, vice chairwoman of the National Executive Committee of the US Water Partnership; retired US Navy Admiral Lee Gunn, vice chairman of the CNA Military Advisory Board; and Kristalina Georgieva, chief executive of the World Bank 鈥� joined Reed for a panel discussion of .

鈥淣ational and international security in the 21st century is a much broader portfolio for our government to think about than it was in the 20th century,鈥� said Jones, who served as national security advisor in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2011. As part of this new portfolio, Gunn urged the US government to 鈥渃onsider the challenge of global water stress as a national security concern.鈥� Already, water scarcity has played a role in , , and around the world. In the face of these perils, the panelists discussed a reinvigorated approach to water insecurity 鈥� one based on committed US leadership, a whole-of-government response, and private sector innovation 鈥� to address the needs of a growing human population.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a coming crisis,鈥� said Jones. 鈥淎nd if you wait too long to address it, it鈥檒l be too late. It鈥檒l just be a catastrophe.鈥�

Reasserting American Leadership

Mitigating water-related security threats will require a deft combination of robust US leadership on the world stage, strategic foresight at home, and a willingness to build upon existing sources of strength. 鈥淵es, it鈥檚 good to have a very strong military and yes, it鈥檚 sometimes necessary,鈥� said Jones. 鈥淏ut who we are and what we do on this planet is much more important, and if we don鈥檛 figure out a way to address it from a leadership standpoint鈥� then I don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e providing the moral leadership that we should.鈥�

The United States has the technical expertise, diplomatic clout, and economic prowess needed to advance the cause of global water security, but 鈥渨e have not had an integrated, coherent [water] strategy for the past several decades,鈥� said Reed. 鈥淵es, we have provided access to water for hospitals, communities, and schools. But what about the upstream management of resources? What about changing and upgrading the governance mechanisms, the regulations? What about preparing these communities for the impacts of climate change, increasing their resilience for the impacts that are yet to come? And there we have a major shortcoming, a vacuum that we need to fill.鈥�

In recent years, the United States has made some progress: The , passed with bipartisan support, requires the US president 鈥� in conjunction with the State Department, US Agency for International Development, and other agencies 鈥� to submit to Congress its first-ever by October 1, 2017. This strategy must clearly outline how the United States intends to help high-need countries improve access to sanitation and hygiene, shore up water management programs, and settle disputes over water resources.

"Water often has been somewhat stove-piped in the way in which it gets dealt with"

The Global Water Strategy is particularly notable because it incorporates the wide-ranging expertise of several federal agencies and departments. 鈥淲ater often has been somewhat stove-piped in the way in which it gets dealt with in terms of certain sectors,鈥� said Dobriansky. 鈥淏ut here there鈥檚 a real emphasis, at least as I could see it, on a whole-of-government approach to the issue.鈥� This all-encompassing approach 鈥渞equires not just USAID and DoD but also USDA and the [intelligence community] and all the other elements of government,鈥� said Gunn.

Water in an Advanced Energy World

Since  鈥� those fueled by coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear power 鈥� use water in the process of generating electricity, water consumption is intimately linked to energy needs, which is particularly challenging in emerging markets with burgeoning populations. According to the International Energy Agency鈥檚 , thermoelectric power plants in 2014 withdrew 342 billion meters3 of water, and consumed enough water 鈥� 17 billion meters3 鈥� to address the . 鈥淭he energy framework is terribly important to the management of water worldwide in those places where it鈥檚 not only necessary to get the water situation under control, but also to provide for the energy demand that is going to increase,鈥� said Gunn.

The coal industry is among the world鈥檚 largest users of freshwater

Today, the coal industry 鈥� which 鈥� is among the world鈥檚 largest users of freshwater; in the United States, it is responsible for withdrawn and consumed by thermoelectric power plants. that produce and consume the most coal face high levels of water stress. To avert an imminent water crisis and the ensuing harm to human health, economic productivity, and infrastructure, Gunn suggested that governments prioritize advanced energy 鈥� a broad category that includes renewable power sources, like , which tend to be less water-intensive than traditional fuels like coal.

But it will take a timely, comprehensive overhaul of its foreign policy for the United States to lead the global transition to advanced energy and to fully implement water-saving technologies, as the CNA Military Advisory Board argued in its . 鈥淭here already is underway, with a great deal of momentum, a shift to an advanced energy world,鈥� said Gunn. 鈥淚t will happen with or without the leadership of the United States.鈥�

Engaging the Private Sector

The sheer amount of investment needed to install, renovate, and maintain water infrastructure is staggering. A estimated that the cumulative cost of adding new water and sanitation services to meet 鈥� achieving universal access to basic water, sanitation, and hygiene services by 2030 鈥� was $454.4 billion. Providing 鈥� which is located on premises, readily available, and free from microbiological and chemical contamination 鈥� will require capital investments of $114 billion each year, or triple the current funding levels. The World Bank also found that the gross cost of adapting water supply and flood protection systems to the impacts of climate change is through 2050.

Given these high costs, public-private partnerships are essential. 鈥淐reative ways forward aren鈥檛 going to only be through the US government,鈥� Dobriansky said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 got to be through the private sector, and every aspect of the private sector 鈥� NGOs, academia, businesses, and so forth.鈥�

鈥淐reative ways forward aren鈥檛 going to only be through the US government鈥�

Between 1990 and 2012, African governments formed 51 public-private partnerships in the water, sanitation, and desalination sectors, with total investment exceeding $3 billion. According to the , these partnerships tended to increase efficiency, reduce water loss, limit cost overruns, and meet construction deadlines, thanks to stronger management incentives. Moreover, small-scale public-private partnerships in remote areas with smaller populations appeared to enhance equitable water access by providing much-needed capacity and keeping water prices affordable.

While there is still work to be done in , public-private partnerships may represent . The number of people served by public-private partnerships in urban water utilities expanded from , and the majority of contracts awarded since 1990 鈥� 84 percent 鈥� were still active in 2007. (Only 9 percent were cancelled early.) Larger developing countries, like Algeria, China, and Malaysia, now depend heavily on private operators for their water needs.

鈥淚f we can work the public and private partnership, we can avoid a catastrophe that is surely heading our way collectively,鈥� said Jones. 鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 one of the most important things the United States can do. It could be our legacy for the twenty-first century.鈥�

A More Peaceful Future

鈥淚nvestment in development is investment in security,鈥� said Georgieva. Without access to water and sanitation and access to electricity, 鈥渢here is no chance for communities to prosper.鈥� In regions suffering from water scarcity, . Soaring food prices, breakouts of preventable disease, and more frequent instances of violence add to the burden. And, while fears of impending may be overblown, in governance and prompt greater demands for US humanitarian and military interventions.

At the same time, however, can mitigate, and possibly prevent, these troubling scenarios. In fact, under the right circumstances, water can serve as a . When communities in conflict coalesce around shared water resources, they are more likely to develop a sense of interdependence 鈥� an understanding that, in spite of past grievances, their survival and prosperity are inseparably linked. This initial dialogue may then help reconcile competing interests, forge trust, and eventually yield a that facilitates cooperation in other sectors, including food, energy, and economic development.

In the Levant, to manage transboundary water resources, reduce water pollution, and even build a 鈥減eace park鈥� outfitted with eco-lodges and trails. Going forward, , improved sharing of hydrological data, and the earlier in peacebuilding efforts can enhance the capacity of water cooperation to resolve conflicts and underpin international security.

鈥淚t is in our DNA at the World Bank to think of development as a platform for security and to think of security as a prerequisite for economic development,鈥� said Georgieva. 鈥淪hared water can be a source of economic and social advancement but it can also be a source of significant tensions and conflicts. So for us, at the bank, this topic is one that is crucial for our ability to do what we are set up to do: to provide the chance, an opportunity for people everywhere to have better lives and build a more peaceful, more secure society everywhere.鈥�

Event Resources:

Written by Anuj Krishnamurthy and edited by Meaghan Parker.

This event was organized in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund.