| www.euronews.com The Nile, one of the world's longest rivers, irrigates much of Africa, from Uganda to Egypt. It has also been a source of conflict and tension. It could be again, as Ethiopia plans four large dams. Water wars, potential or existing, could multiply due to population growth and global warming. The fight for fresh water in developing countries is a theme at the 6th World Water Forum this month in Marseille. Areas like the Sahelian zone, the Middle East, and South Asia face development with increasing water demands. The UN says around 1.2 billion people live in areas of water scarcity, and 500 million people are approaching this situation. The UN counts 37 water disputes involving violence in the past 50 years. Says Secretary General Ban Ki Moon "Too often where we need water we find guns." NGOs predict a new series of conflicts if governments fail to deal with a rush for arable land by wealthier countries. Wired into this edition of The Network is: from Cairo Hisham Kandil, Egyptian Minister for Water Resources and Irrigation whose government aims to ensure its Nile water quota. From the European Parliament in Brussels, Judith Merkies a Dutch MEP and Vice-Chairperson of the parliament's Water Inter group. And, from Marseille, Loic Fauchon president of the World Water Council that is organising the World Water Forum. He is also president of the Groupe des Eaux de Marseille which is jointly owned by the French water giants Veolia and Suez. The first question ... |
