Water shortage and population growth will create conflict: UN

Solveig Faul

25/01/2008 1:44:00 PM.

Prevention of the looming water crisis should receive top priority in 2008, according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Appealing to business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland yesterday, he said action was needed to prevent conflicts over scarce supplies.

Mr Ki-Moon spoke of the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan which was touched off by drought echoing recent reports about the threat of eco-terrorism and climate change refugees.

Water shortages had already contributed to poverty and social hardship in numerous countries, including Somalia, Israel, Sri Lanka, Colombia and Kazakhstan, he said.

"Too often, where we need water we find guns instead," he said.

"Population growth will make the problem worse. So will climate change.”

He said the need for water was also growing wit the global economy.

"Many more conflicts lie just over the horizon."

He cited a recent report identifying 46 countries with 2.7 billion people where climate change and water-related crises create "a high risk of violent conflict" and a further 56 countries, with 1.2 billion people "at high risk of violent conflict”.

He called on leaders to adapt to this reality and act while there was still time.

Mr Ki-Moon will invite world leaders to "a critical high-level meeting" in September to focus on meeting U.N. development goals, including halving the number of people without safe drinking water by 2015.