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Water - a key security asset 1. Water - a key security asset Contents   1. Water - a key security asset   2. Security through Science  3. Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society  4. Countering the environmental degradation of the Black Sea  5. Wetlands restoration in the Aral Sea  6. Artemia production in the salt water of the Aral Sea  7. Real-time monitoring of the Nistru and Prut rivers  8. Pilot studies on water management  9. The South Caucasus Cooperative River Monitoring Project Editorial Note   Important publisher and editorial information about this document Other Formats English PDF (~640Kb) Printable version with colour illustrations Order a hardcopy version using the online order form. Access to reliable and sufficient water sources is usually accepted as a fundamental human right. According to World Bank estimates, over one billion people do not have access to safe water, 40 per cent of the world's population faces water shortages, and three billion lack sanitation. Some 80 per cent of infectious diseases are waterborne, killing millions of children every year. Water has in many cases exacerbated or been the cause of conflict in several regions of the world. Many of these conflicts could have been prevented through sustainable water management agreements, for which fact-finding projects on water resources are a prerequisite. "Whereas some 300 000 people were killed in armed conflict in 2000, as many people die each and every month because of contaminated water or lack of adequate sanitation." (Worldwatch Institute, State of the World 2005) The demand for water continues to grow at an increasing rate around the world. The quantity of clean water available to communities to use and drink has an impact on economic and social development. In cases where resources are already scarce, droughts and floods can lead to migration, or the construction of dams and large-scale pollution can create poverty due to loss of livelihood. This phenomenon has been identified as a common denominator of the causes of conflict in most civil wars that have emerged in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America during the last decade. NATO facilitates a variety of projects that are directly related to water issues since they are considered of critical importance in today's security environment. Flooding, droughts, as well as the management or protection of infrastructure for water supplies are examples of the types of projects the Alliance supports. "Water has the power to move millions of people - let it move us in the direction of peace." (Mikhail Gorbachev, President, Green Cross International) NATO's Science Committee with its Security through Science Programme, and the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS) have facilitated a diverse range of water management projects in many regions of the world. These projects not only build capacities, but also generate dialogue between states, governments, organisations, and scientists at a national level, as well as at an international level. Some projects sponsored by NATO have a direct impact on security issues such as real-time monitoring of rivers to avoid both droughts and floods. Others are directed at providing support for applied research and development projects that relate to industrial challenges or environmental problems in the Alliance's Partner or Mediterranean Dialogue countries. The projects are carried out jointly by scientists from these countries, as well as from NATO countries, in collaboration with the end-users. End-users can be commercial industries working on industrial projects, as well as local authorities and governmental bodies working on environmental projects.

© NATO - OTAN 2005 -	NATO Public Diplomacy Division 1110 Brussels, Belgium, web site: www.nato.int e-mail: natodoc@hq.nato. int