Question

The depleting water resources may lead to social conflicts and disputes. Elaborate it with suitable examples?

Answer 1

It can be said with some certainty that the societies will witness demographic transition, the geographical shift of population, technological advancement, degradation of the environment, and water scarcity. Water scarcity is possible to pose the greatest challenge on account of its increased demand coupled with shrinking supplies due to over utilization and pollution. Water is a cyclic resource with abundant supplies on the globe. Approximately, 71 percent of the earth’s surface is covered with it but freshwater constitutes only about 3 percent of the total water. In fact, a very small proportion of freshwater is effectively available for human use. The availability of freshwater varies over space and time. The tensions and disputes on sharing and control of this scarce resource are becoming contested issues among communities, regions, and states.

India accounts for about 2.45 percent of the world’s surface area, 4 percent of the world’s water resources, and about 16 percent of the world’s population. The total utilizable water resource in the country is only 1,122 cubic km. This dearth of utilizable water has been caused by several disputes in India at local, state, and national levels. Sadly in India, there is conflict on issues like social structure (casteism, communalism, etc.)
Rivers of Northern India have conditions of water surplus and many regions face flood situations whereas, the rivers in Southern India have perennial flow concentrated in the months of monsoon leading to water scarcity during the rest of the year. To solve the situation there have been many proposed river linkage schemes that became causes for disputes among the states over the sharing of water resources.

It is the scarcity of water that has caused longstanding disputes between the state of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over sharing of waters of the Kaveri River. Sharing of water of Brahmaputra has always been a cause of conflict between India and Bangladesh. Much to India’s dislike and concern China is planning to build a dam on the river Brahmaputra.