Water Wars? Competing demands on limited freshwater supplies around the world raise possibility for conflict.

Photo courtesy of wing of kaz at Flickr.com.

Nations that share borders also tend to share rivers, lakes, aquifers, and other water supplies. Around the world, these shared water supplies are disappearing. There’s a danger that some countries will stop pointing fingers at each other and start pointing guns and missiles instead.

Some of the flashpoints where water wars are possible include:

Some potential solutions include:

Rain barrels and cisterns can reduce the water lost to evaporation and runoff. Also, new technology and rising water costs are making it
more affordable to convert salt water into drinking water.

On the home front, it’s easy to reduce waste in the bathroom with water saving toilets, but there are lots of other areas where progress can be made.

If you think that water shortages aren’t a problem in your neighborhood, this site has a great roundup of water news throughout the US. Check it out – you might be surprised about what’s going on under the radar in your own back yard!