The links between water and security are immediate and tangible. Where fresh water is accessible and well-managed, economies can grow and communities can thrive. Yet when fresh water is compromised, societies break down, leading to social disruptions and conflict that weaken social cohesion and further degrade the environment. Failure to address these issues puts our national security and prosperity at risk, according to the new World Wildlife Fund (WWF) book Water, Security and U.S. Foreign Policy.
Edited by WWF Senior Policy Advisor David Reed, the book presents policymakers with a framework for identifying how water-related disruptions in partner countries lead to state fragility and raise threats to national security. Through a series of 17 case studies by leading international experts, the book examines how ecological change can lead to regional instability, migration, social and economic conflict and the rise of insurgencies.
“Water affects everything, from the food we eat, to the cotton we wear, to the energy we depend on,” said Reed. “If it is not managed sustainably, not just in our country but in other countries around the world, our prosperity and national security will be negatively affected. It’s urgent that governments and corporations alike make sustainable water management a top priority.”
In the book’s opening chapter, Reed argues that US efforts to eliminate terrorism and contain insurgencies cannot succeed if the rural and urban poor around the world have no access to clean water. Consequently, sustainable water management must be given far greater attention in US development assistance and thus support the pillars of US foreign policy that promote widely shared prosperity, secure communities and democratic, transparent governance.
“Water is our most precious natural resource, and it is under increased pressure due to population growth, changing consumption patterns, climate change and more,” said Reed. “Conserving water is critical to both protecting people and conserving nature, and this book helps to guide the way to do just that.”
Water, Security and US Foreign Policy is available in bookstores and at https://www.amazon.com/Water-Security-U-S-Foreign-Policy/dp/1138051519 with proceeds supporting WWF’s global conservation work.
Audrey Payne
Media & External Affairs | World Wildlife Fund