Mother Nature is Weaponizing Water

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast
Episode 103
Mother Nature is Weaponizing Water
 
There are now 8 billion people on planet Earth. Due to our varied interests, cultures, belief systems, and politics, it is obviously necessary to have rules and laws in order to keep the peace and ensure mutual cooperation. But regardless of this there is a very effective weapon that can be used to accomplish the same thing. But no one ever seems to talk about it. 
For hundreds of years this very same weapon has been used to control people and get the upper hand on the battle field. This same weapon is now poised to be the controlling factor for millions of people around the world. 
And this weapon is water. If you want to hear the rest of the story, then stick around for E 104 which is called Mother Nature is Weaponizing Water. 
Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E104 which is called Mother Nature is Weaponizing Water. 
 
Now I truly hope that you will stick around for the episode because I want to give you a very different perspective on a very old issue.
First I want to show you how water has been used as a weapon for hundreds of years. 
Then I want give you a very real example of how water decided the fate of an ancient people
Then I want to relate all of this to our modern day culture with true to life examples. 
Finally I want to finish up with five lessons to be learned and what we can do to change things to something more sustainable. 
Water has been weaponized for hundreds of years
Water was weaponized hundreds of years ago and now may be the one thing that decides the fate of millions of people.
If there is one thing that always comes into play with sustainability it is forethought and planning. After all, the one basic underlying principle of sustainability is what kind of future we are leaving the next generation. What this means is that we take care of our own needs without compromising the needs of other.  But this of course requires some forethought and planning.  
Our lack of forethought and planning is the very thing that has resulted in our present predicament. What I am referring to is the fact that there are now 8 billion people on the planet and we are running out of resources. 
As I stated above due to our varied interests, cultures, belief systems, and politics, it is obviously necessary to have rules and laws in order to keep the peace and ensure mutual cooperation.
But there are various techniques used to control nations of people, some more pleasant than others. The most common way is to have rules and laws. After all, the vast majority of people see the usefulness of most rules and laws, understand the necessity of such things, and happily obey. Another common method not often seen in developed nations is violence. Another very common way that most people do not think about is fear. If you literally make enough people afraid of something real or imagined it is actually possible to control an entire nation of people. But the one and by far the most effective way to control people is to simply control their resources. After all as you have likely heard me say several times before, as long as someone is in control of your resources they are in control of your life. 
Historically this method has been used in a number of different ways. For example, after years of ineffectively fighting the Indians, the US military finally got control of the Native American tribes by destroying their food supply. Millions and millions of buffalo were slaughtered and left to rot. Many Native Americans relied on the enormous buffalo herds for food. With their food supply all but destroyed, they were literally starved into submission. 
But what most people do not realize is that this is a very common military tactic. If you cut off the supply line, whether that be weapons, fuel, electricity,  food, or water, sooner or later the enemy will have to give in. Even today this technique is use. More and more commonly even in our modern world water is actually being used as a weapon. 
While water scarcity may be an abstract concept to most people it is a stark reality for millions of others. The one thing we can never live without is the one thing we take for granted and that is a glass of clean drinking water. 
So let’s look at a few real life examples. First I want to take a quick look at this from a historical prospective and then I want to show you just how relevant this is even in our modern culture.  
Historically both government and non-governmental entities have used their power over water and water infrastructure to gain control on the battlefield and to oppress civilian populations. Very simply put water is being used as a weapon. What this involves is attacking and destroying wells, dams, reservoirs, pipelines and treatment facilities or deliberately contaminating the water with disease causing agents. 
We can find numerous examples of this dating back to ancient times as well as in WWII in Europe and Asia where dams were often a strategic target. The Middle East is a part of the world that is plagued with water scarcity which makes using water as a weapon a very common tactic. In 2011 when a mass upraising swept across the Middle East, water was used as a weapon in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. In 2017 the Syrian government in Damascus bombed water resources and cut off the water supply to 5.5 million people. In fact, the Islamic State has adopted this tactic as an integral part of their strategy and uses dams, canals, and reservoirs to deny water and energy from people outside their territory. 
Most research proves that using water as a weapon is a commonly used tactic in different types of conflict such as civil war, various types of armed conflict, inter-communal violence, and even social conflict. There are even examples of water wars in which water becomes a flash point for either cooperation or conflict. For example, the Nile River basin and the disputes between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over infrastructure projects such as dams, pipelines and irrigation networks.  The countries in this river basin are heavily dependent on the river because it is the only renewable water source and is essential for food production, water security and hydroelectric power. 
Once again, for those of us that live in developed countries, we often think that such things are so far removed from us that it simply does not apply and we have nothing to worry about. But, what I want to point out is that this ancient practice of using water as a weapon now has a new face. It is called climate change. 
Most commonly the practice of using water or water related infrastructure as a weapon has the specific aim of harming people or depriving communities, cities and even whole populations of a natural resource. While that is easy to see, there is more to this than what you think. Because our existence is truly dependent on the availability of water, the use of water as a weapon or simply the lack of water has the ability to destabilized an entire society. 
Water Decided the Fate of an Ancient People
And this is truly nothing new. Take for example the Hohokam Indians who were an ancient people that lived in the desert southwest. In fact the remains of their society and lifestyle are now buried beneath the suburban sprawl of Phoenix, Arizona. This society was characterized mostly by farm fields that were irrigated by the Salt and Gila rivers. This society is the only prehistoric culture in North America that had an advanced farming system with a rather sophisticated systems of canals. 
But tree ring data from 1276 reveals there was a drought in the southwest that lasted more than 20 years. Consequently, the Hohokam society was completely dispersed because their sophisticated farming system could not exist without water. This drought is believed to be the primary cause of the collapse of the Hohokam society. 
And now we see suburbia with millions of people living in the same valley as the Hohokam, which is now experiencing  the biggest mega drought in centuries and people are scrambling to find enough water.  Yet, problems with a safe water supply is not limited to the desert southwest.
Modern Day Examples 
What if someone targeted the Hoover Dam and completely destroyed Lake Mead, which is the largest man made reservoir in the United States and provides water for 45 million people. While that may seem implausible, think about this. What if Lake Mead dried up, which it is presently doing. What happens then? Forty five million people have lost their water supply and vast areas of farm land that produces fruits and vegetables will no longer be irrigated. 
Another example, the Mississippi River. The mighty Mississippi is the result of a water drainage basin that that covers nearly 40% of our nation. Yet, due to prolonged drought, the river is now so low that the Army Corp of Engineers is having to dredge the river to keep is navigable for shipping. 
But these are just two examples of our lack of forethought and planning and how we continue to ignore the physical limitations of our planet. In many respects it is a combination of our poor management, human error, and the forces of nature that water is now becoming a weapon in the complete absence of conflict. Water rules our lives, it is the one resources we simply cannot live without, and water or the lack thereof will eventually displace millions of people even in the United States. Suddenly the abstract is now becoming a reality. 
First of all allow me to give you several examples in the United States where water is a deciding factor in how people live. But first let’s look at a very relevant historical example. 
 
California is a perfect example. 
Three years into the worst drought seen in centuries water supplies are plummeting and California water regulators are mandating various water restrictions that affect millions of people. It is at the point to where conserving water is no longer optional. Water suppliers have been told to expect a 20% shortage. Home lawns can only be watered once weekly. Watering grass at industrial and commercial properties has been completely banned. The present governor has warned that he may enforce state wide restrictions if conservation goals are not met. 
But our fresh water problems go far beyond the effects of drought. There are numerous cities around the US that has serious problems with the water supply and millions of people have poor access to fresh water. 
Jackson, Mississippi
 Due to decades of neglect of the water infrastructure resulting in equipment failures, many of the 150,000 residents were left without any water at all. Additionally, water contamination results of various digestive problems. Until repairs were made, the city could not even produce water for flushing toilets or fighting fires. 
And Jackson is only one example of how Americans across the country are struggling with access to clean drinking water. 
South Texas/Rio Grande Valley
The Rio Grande Valley is under significant pressure due to the effects of drought. Reservoirs in the area are drying up and threatening the water supply for millions of people. Several area reservoirs have less than 25% capacity. Several area judges have issued disaster declarations. 
Camp Jejune, North Carolina
There is now a class action lawsuit due to decades of water contamination causing significant health problems for millions of people. 
Honolulu, Hawaii
Jet fuel leaked from a storage facility operated by the Navy which contaminated drinking water and sickened as many as 2,000 people. 
Las Vegas, New Mexico
This town of 13,000 people depends on the Bradner Reservoir for their water supply. The reservoir was so low that the city only had 50 days of water left. However, the reservoir was contaminated with large amounts of debris and ash from a very large forest fire. The water is so contaminated it cannot be used at all.  The mayor declared a state of emergency and steps were taken to use water from a local lake to supply as much as 200 million gallons of water.
 
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore residents were urged to boil their water due to an E. Coli contamination. Residents in West Baltimore have to haul jugs of water home and it is not known when the emergency will be over. 
Benton Harbor, Michigan
High levels of lead have been detected in Benton Harbor’s water system since at least 2018. This is the result of lead-tainted service lines. The contaminated lines had been poisoning people for years. Residents were forced to use bottled water for cooking, drinking, brushing their teeth, and rinsing food. The city has now secured funding to replace all of the tainted service lines.  
And while in these examples water is not truly being used as a weapon, but the effects are the same. Water and water related infrastructure are harming people, depriving communities, cities, and even whole populations of a natural resource. Wells, dams, reservoirs, pipelines, and treatment facilities are contaminating water and causing significant health problems. And this of course has the ability to destabilize an entire society. For example, Las Vegas, Nevada gets 90% of its water from Lake Mead which is slowly but surely drying up. 
 
Lessons to Be Learned
And as always, I tend to ask the question of what is the lesson to be learned here. We obviously cannot exist without water yet it is the one resource that we tend to take for granted. We act as if it is a resource that will always be there. A clean glass of drinking water is something we completely take for granted.  
We have to change the way we are consuming water.
This means we are going to have to change our personal behavior. Conserving our water usage is no longer an option. This may mean five minute showers, not flushing the toilet as often, watering your lawn only once a week, possibly even removing the lush green lawn and replacing it with native plants, running dishwashers and washing machines only when there is a full load, cleaning your driveway with a broom instead of using water. 
We have to stop doing things that are illogical. 
There are numerous examples in the West and Southwest of massive infrastructure put in place just to move water from places that are wet to places that are dry just so we can make them green. This is completely illogical and not sustainable. Las Vegas, Nevada is a city that shouldn’t even be there. 
Phoenix, Arizona is another example. The Central Arizona Project, which is a canal that is 17 feet deep and 80 feet wide, was built specifically to supply Phoenix, Tucson, and other places with Colorado River water. This canal is 336 miles long and the project pumps water up 2,900 feet in elevation. It uses so much power that the massive coal fired Navajo Generating Plant was built to provide the needed energy. 
Now it must be said that supplying enough water to sustain a city the size of Phoenix in the desert has long been controversial. Furthermore, the population of Arizona has tripled in the last 50 years and the state has often been held up as the poster child of unsustainable development.  
Once again, we have to stop doing things that are illogical. 
We have to literally make historical investments in programs and infrastructure that promote conservation.
Santa Monica, California is a perfect example. For the last 10 years, the city has invested $200 million in water recycling projects and upgrading water treatment facilities to increase efficiency. The city will replace old toilets for free, they hand out low-flow shower heads and spray nozzles and issue rebates for new high-efficiency washing machines. Additionally they give rebates for replacing green lawns with sustainable landscaping. Consequently the city no longer imports most of its water from northern California or the Colorado River basin. 
We have to return to sustainable landscaping. 
If you look at the western United States, green, grassy, outdoor landscapes do not match the native arid ecosystem. Not to mention the fact that it is a complete waste of water. If all landscaping were returned to native plants this would drastically reduce water usage, it would cool down the suburban areas and promote biodiversity.
We all have to do our part.  
First of all we just simply have to be more efficient. We have to ask ourselves if a green lawn is really the best use of the water that is available. Conservation does not have to be a struggle. It should feel like an enormous opportunity. 
It is entirely possible for every household to reduce their water consumption by 30% to 50%. I know this because of how we live we use 80% less water than the average American household and we do not do without anything. 
I have often said that you had better learn how to live sustainably while you still have the choice because there will come a time when it may be forced on you. A perfect example is when I was living in Saint Kitts. This is a 60 square mile island that is completely dependent the rain as a source of fresh water. But the government forces people to conserve by turning off the water pressure every single night. Consequently, you have to plan ahead because 8 hours out of every day you are not going to have access to fresh water. 
As seen in the examples I gave above, we are now up against a wall. We can no longer ignore our climate and the physical limitations of our planet. 
As this point you should realize that for centuries water has been used as a weapon. Similar to other things, one of the best ways to gain control during a war is to cut off vital resources. However, in the absence of conflict we are seeing the same effects. Valuable and much needed sources of water are running dry. In some cases entire communities have a complete lack of fresh water.
Despite our best efforts, conservation is not going to happen over night. This is obvious because we continue to do things that are illogical. Expanding cities in areas that already have limited resources and expending massive amounts of money and infrastructure to support unsustainable growth. 
I read and hear about numerous plans to make sure we always have a source of clean water. Often times I sit back and think perhaps the simplest solution is to use less water. The average American uses 80 to 100 gallons of water a day. That is approximately  3,000 gallon per month. It is possible to live on a whole lot less because that is what we do. For a family of three, several pets, a green house, and chicken and turkeys, we use approximately 600 gallons of water a month.
I often wonder if there is going to come a time when our government has to decide which communities, which cites to save and which ones are going to completely abandoned just because there is no water. Water supplies are already dictating where and what can be developed. 
While a shortage of water is often an abstract concept to most people on the planet, it is all too often a stark reality to many others. The result is a multitude of political, environmental, economic, and social forces.  Would it not be easier to live more sustainably before water is truly used as a weapon whether that be by design or simply the result of the forces of nature.  
Well folks that’s it for this week. I truly hope this has been a very thought provoking episode and has perhaps made you think hard about some of the stark realities of our present world. Please don’t forget to check out the resources section at the end of the transcript for this episode because there is some excellent reading there if you want to learn a bit more. 
And as always, if you like the content that I produce, then please take the time to leave me with a review and don’t forget to subscribe to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast as well as my companion blog Off Grid Living News.  
But until next week, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.  
Patrick 
 
 
 
Resources
 
 
On-Going Water Crisis in the U.S. 
 
Why is American Running Out of Water? 
 
America’s Clean Water Crisis Goes Far Beyond Flint 
 
Water as a Weapon of War 
 
Water Emerges As a Weapon of War In Ukraine and Beyond 
 
Fresh Water Crisis 
 
How Phoenix is Preparing for a Future Without Colorado River Water 
 
Water Challenges and Cooperative Response in the Middle East and North Africa 
 
Four Facets of Water in MENA’s Conflict and Forced Displacement Crisis 
Patrick