Water Security In The 21st Century

Water wars are coming! Water is the defining security threat of the 21st century! Water is an essential resource required for sustaining life and livelihoods: safe water is required for drinking, hygiene and providing food; and adequate water to produce energy and support economic activities such as industry and transportation. On the other hand Water in the natural environment ensures the provision of a multitude of ecosystem services to support economic and cultural activities and meet basic human needs. For too long water has been an issue that is at once everywhere and nowhere (Harrington, 2013).

Water security is a defining global challenge in the 21st century. Living in poverty has long been synonymous with the precarious struggle for water security. Absent or unreliable water and sanitation services, unpredictable floods and droughts, and degraded ecosystems threaten the lives and livelihoods of many of the world’s country. Rapid change in populations, economies, and climate will make achieving water security by countries that are currently water insecure much more difficult. Escalating water competition, deteriorating water ecosystems, intensified flood and drought shocks, and related social tensions are all predicted (Grey et al., 2012). Current and future costs and consequences of water insecurity, in terms of social and economic

In general Security is multidimensional in both concept and application; however, we can define security and understand its nature when we consider it from a contextual perspective, It means Security can be defined given context. For example, security is comprehensible when we consider a lock and key, but less so when we consider the fight on terrorism. When we use the term security without context, it can and does mean many things to many people. Security may be considered assured freedom from poverty or want (Smith & Brooks,