Global Water Wars

Although there is virtually no coverage of it water shortages are driving conflict around the world, and the situation is only likely to get worse as the situation deteriorates in the coming years.

This documentary from National Geographic was made in 2016 and looks at how water shortages are causing crises in cities, countries and regions around the world.

As is obvious, people cannot live without water, and where there is water, people can flourish. This makes the control of water a crucial political problem, that is being used and abused around the world, but with very little publicity.

We see how large cities in India are unable to supply water to their populations leading to a so-called water-mafia that supplies what local authorities cannot.

We also find out what happens when large populations are forced to migrate from Syria by an acute lack of water making life impossible at home, leading to the migration crisis in Europe.

We learn about the politicisation of the water supply, first by seeing how ISIS tried to take control of the water supply in Iraq; but how also the Israelis subdue and control the Palestinian population through control of the water, a large percentage of which is actually found on Palestinian land.

Finally, we see how China (via Tibet) now controls the headwaters of nearly all the rivers of Asia, and is building dams at an alarming rate, which gives them a leverage other nations in South and South-East Asia, which is unwanted.