Water Wars !

The African city of Cape Town is counting down the days until the water taps run dry. The city continued to attract residents and little heed was taken in enlarging the water supply and now a drought has depleted that source to the degree that only the dregs remain.

The world has been warned that wars over water are our scenario for the future.  Some of the greatest rivers - the Ganges, Brahmaputra and the Mekong have their headwaters in the Himalayas where their flow comes from snow melt and the retreating glaciers.  They start in China and make their way through many countries, delivering the life blood of agriculture to the vast hordes of India, Myanmar and Vietnam.

This flow of water is directed by gravity and how much the higher placed nations steal away depends directly on what is left for the people who live on the lower levels.  Anger is building as countless dams are built or proposed to both conserve drinking water and to harness the water to create hydro driven electricity.  At this same time, the flow is diminishing because global warming is reducing the snow and the glaciers are failing.  An ever diminishing supply is servicing an ever increasing number of people.

Here in Australia we have the advantage that our great rivers start and finish within the jurisdiction of a single Federal government, but they pass through states who are just as hostile to water restrictions as different countries to our north.  The mighty Murray has is headwaters in Queensland and flows from there through New South Wales and Victoria until it enters the sea in South Australia.  The flow is so reduced that in recent years sand bars blocked its access to the ocean.

There is a plan in place to ration water in an orderly manner to restore a healthy river system and this has resulted in a big improvement.  The city of Adelaide in South Australia is dependent on this river for their water supply, but it is evident that the flow to the lower reaches is not attaining the volume predicted in the management plan.

The problem is that licenses for irrigation rights to draw from the river is a state prerogative and both New South Wales and Queensland have been over generous in allowing vast agricultural industries to be established under their jurisdictions.   In particular, we now produce large cotton crops, and these have a great thirst for water.  A reduction in agriculture would adversely affect state budgets.

There are accusations that many agricultural industries have exceeded their allotted ration of water and that hidden pumps and pipelines are drawing vast amounts of water.   This is hotly denied, but it is undeniable that far less water than was agreed on the water sharing plan is now reaching South Australia.

Now a new water plan is awaiting approval by the states and this calls for the 320 billion litres that agriculture in Queensland the New South Wales have to return to the river to be decreased by another 70 billion litres.

This reduction is a Greens led motion and it is facing a political refusal by both New South Wales and Victoria.  South Australia - where this matter is critical - is shortly facing an election and this issue could be decisive in deciding the vote.   Intense political pressure is also being applied by agricultural interests in the northern basin of New South Wales and Queensland.   Any reduction in water availability could end their viability.

This looks like descending into another political stalemate.   The government is reaching for a reduction figure that agriculture can live with and Labor has joined with the Greens to block any hope of consensus.  New South Wales is talking about walking away from the entire river recovery plan.

Unfortunately, this is an issue very much determined by gravity.  These rivers flow to the south, hence the " first in, best dressed " principle applies.  Agriculture in the north draws its needs and those in the lower reaches get what is left.

If the Australian states can not reach harmonious agreement, just imagine the outcome when the sharing of river water must be agreed between nation states that control their own offensive military forces.