Water:TheEpicStrugglefor

Wealth,Power,and
Civilization
Water:TheEpicStruggleforWealth,Power,andCivilization
StevenSolomon,JoanneJ.Myers
March31,2010
Introduction
Remarks
QuestionsandAnswers
Introduction
JOANNEMYERS:Goodafternoon.I'mJoanneMyers,DirectorofPublicAffairs
Programs,andonbehalfoftheCarnegieCouncil,Iwouldliketothankyouforjoiningus.
TodayweareverypleasedtowelcomeveteranjournalistStevenSolomontoour
program.Mr.SolomonhaswrittenforTheNewYorkTimes,BusinessWeek,The
Economist,Forbes,andEsquire.Additionally,hehasappearedonCNBC,NPR'sTalkof
theNation,BloombergTV,andothernewsshows.Hisearlierbook,ConfidenceGame,
prescientlywarnedabouttheincreasingdangersinthevolatileglobalfinancialsystem.
ThisafternoonMr.Solomonwillbediscussinghislatestwork,Water:TheEpicStruggle
forWealth,Power,andCivilization.
Waterhasalwaysbeenapreciouscommodity,butforthosewhofinditinshortsupply,itsvalueisbecomingeven
moreapparentdaybyday.Infact,manyofyoumayhavebeenhearingorreadingabouthowwateristhenew
oil.It'struethatwater,likeoil,iscriticaltotheglobaleconomy.However,unlikeoil,thereisnosubstitute.
Waterhasbeenandisthemostimportantdriverofhumandevelopment.
InWater:TheEpicStruggleforWealth,Power,andCivilization,Mr.Solomonwritesabouttheroleofwaterin
worldhistory.Hetellsusthatwaterhasalwaysbeenofgreatimportanceandhassimplyreturnedtotheprimacy
itheldfromtheearliestoftimes.Heexplainshowwater,oncemadenavigable,manageable,andpotable,
becamepivotaltotheriseandfallofgreatcivilizationsandtheirachievements.Hegivesexamples,from
Mesopotamia,theRomanEmpire,MedievalChina,andIslam'sGoldenAge,toEurope'srise,thesteampowered
IndustrialRevolution,andtoAmerica,toshowhowwaterhasalwaysplayedanessentialroleinadvancinghuman
aspirationsandtheprosperityofnations.
Todaysuppliesofwateratleasttheclean,easilyaccessiblesortarecomingunderenormousstrain.
Freshwaterscarcityduetotheneedsofagrowingglobalpopulation,climatechange,andmismanagement,
particularlyinpoorcountries,whereindustrializationiscontaminatingriversandaquifers,hasbecomeoneofthe
21stcentury'sloomingchallenges.Withthedemandsofaworldpopulationsoaringtowards9billionby2050and
only2.5percentofwateronearthbeingfresh,thechallengesareenormous.Asseveralreportshaveindicated,
waterconsumptionneedsaredoublingevery20years.Ifwestayonourcurrentcourse,wewilloutstripnature's
sustainablesupplyofaccessiblefreshwater.
Asthequestforwaterdrivesnewpolitical,economic,andenvironmentalrealitiesacrosstheglobe,itisvery
likelythatwaterfaminecouldoutstripfoodfamine,evencausingfuturewars.Wehavealreadyseenhow
genocide,disease,andcivilwarfarehaveincreasedaswaterstarved,overpopulatedareasofAfrica,Asia,andthe
MiddleEastfightforthispreciousresource.
Whilethescenarioofanimpendingglobalwatercrisisisprettybleak,youmayaskhowtheissuescametobeand
whetherthereisasolution.Althoughthereisnoonesizefitsall,thereareseveralthingsthatcanbedone.To
findoutjustwhatcanbeaccomplished,pleasejoinmeinwelcomingourguesttoday,StevenSolomon.
Thankyouforcoming.
Remarks
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STEVENSOLOMON:Thankyou,Joanne,andthankyoufortheexcellentintroduction.Icanthrowouthalfofmy
speech.
Thankallofyouforcomingandtakingtimefromyourbusyschedulestocontemplatethatpreciousclearliquid
thatmanyofuscarryaroundwithuseverydayinlittlepersonalbottles.Andwhatwouldwedoifwedidn'thave
it?
ThetopicI'mgoingtodiscussisthegreatestcrisisthatmostAmericansareonlybeginningtohearabout,and
thatisglobalfreshwaterscarcity.Infact,Idoargueinthisbookthatwaterisovertakingoilashumansociety's
scarcestcriticalresource.Ifyouwanttothinkofananalogy,justasoiltransformedthehistoryofthe20th
century,Ithinkfreshwaterisalreadybeginningtoshapethegeopolitics,theeconomics,theenvironment,
domesticpolitics,andthequalityofoureverydaylifeinthe21stcentury.It'sevenmoreimportantbecauseitis
soindispensable.Youcan'tdrinkoil,andyoucan'tgrowfoodwithit.
Whatishappeningessentiallyisthatundertheduressofrisingpopulationandthevoraciousdemandsofour
industrialsocietythathasbeenusingwaterattwicetherateofpopulationgrowth,andalsoalotofourown
inefficientwaterpractices,moreandmorenationsaroundtheworldareoutstrippingtheiravailablesustainable
supplyoffreshwater.BythatImeanthefiniteamountofwaterthatcontinuallyselfrenews,throughthenatural
processofevaporationandprecipitation,toreplenishtheriversandthelakesandtheshallowgroundwatersthat
havebeenthesourceofwaterforallhumanhistory.Ourecosystemsaregettingdepleted,andwearestartingto
rundryformanykeyeconomicusesandforhumanuses,inagriculture,industry,andenergyproduction.
Givenourcurrentpracticesandtechnologiesinmoreandmorepartsoftheworld,thereissimplynotenough
availabletoreplenishthewaterecosystemsfortheworld's6.5billiontoday,muchlessthe9billionwe're
becoming,manyofthosemeateatersaswellandenjoyingmiddleclassdiets,whichevenusemorewaterthan
theabsoluteincreaseinpopulationgrowth.Asaresult,globalsocietyispolarizingintowhatyoumightthinkofas
waterhavesandhavenotsocieties.
WealwaystrytolookbacktoourFoundingFathersintimesofstressforwisdom.IthinkBenFranklinputsit
prettynicely.Hesays,"Whenthewellisempty,welearntheworthofwater."Well,theglobalwellisstartingto
godry,andwe'reallstartingtolearntheworthofwater.
Iwouldliketostartourexplorationonthefrontlinesofoneplaceintheworldwatercrisis.Thatwouldbe
Pakistan,whereSecretaryofStateHillaryClintonmadearathertumultuousvisitinOctober2009.Behindallthe
headlinesthatthatgenerated,shewasrepeatedlybeseechedbyPakistanileadersaboutPakistan'simpending
waterandfoodcrisis.Ofcourse,shepaidcloseattentiontothat,notjustbecauseofPakistanbeingacriticalally
intheAfghanwarandthewaronterrorism,butbecausePakistanisanucleararmed,Talibanbesieged,politically
fractiousstatethatwouldbe,really,ourultimatefailedstatenightmare,Ithink,ifthatstateshouldfallapart.
Waterisoneofthepressurepointsonthatstate.Tomeetthenecessitiesofitsgrowingpopulation,whichhas
actuallyquintupledsinceindependencein1947andisexpectedtogrowanother30percent,to225million,within
about15years,Pakistanisindesperateneedofrevitalizingitsverybadlydecayingirrigationanddrainage
system.Ithasthelargestcontiguousirrigationsystemintheworld,abouttentimesthesizeofMassachusetts.
It'salsorunningshortonhydropower,andthestoragecapacityofitslifelineriver,theIndus,hasonly30days'
storageagainst,let'ssay,anunforeseendrought.It'sratherterrifying.TheUnitedStatesorAustraliahasabout
30timesmorestorageagainstthatkindofanevent.AswanDam,whenit'sfull,canholdtwoyears.
Ithasreliedheavilyonpumpinggroundwaterforitsagriculture.Ithasbeenoverpumpingthegroundwater
beyonditsreplenishableratesbynature,anditsgroundwatertablesarenowfallingtolevelsthatarehitting
qualityandquantitylimits.Atthesametime,itssurfaceirrigationontheIndusisalsobadlyovertapped,causing
manyoftheproblemsofsalinationaswell.
TheIndusitself,likemanyotherriversaroundtheworld70orsoofthemajorriversissobadlyoverdrawn
thatitnolongerreachesthedeltas.AndthisistrueintheColorado,it'strueintheRioGrande,it'strueonthe
NileandtheYellowRiveraswell.Theynolongerreallyreachtheirdeltastoreplenishthem.Thosehavebeen
fertileareasbothforfoodandforbiodiversitythroughouthistory.
Butnowthereisaspecialproblemontopofthisone,andthatisthis:50percentofthewaterfromtheIndus
RivercomesfromglaciersupintheHimalayas,andtheseHimalayanglaciershavebeenmeltingatan
extraordinarilyfastrate.Thepredictionsnowarethatit'sgoingtoloseonethirdofitsflowinthenext15to20
years,atthesametimethatitspopulationisgoingtobegrowingandithasalltheseotherveryserious,
formidableproblemstodealwith.
Ontopofthat,theshortagesthatitcurrentlyfaceshavealreadysetoffinternalschismsbetweentheSindhisin
theSouth,whofeelthatthePunjabisintheNortharetakingtoomuchofthewater.Itgetsprettycomplicated,
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becausenextdoor,ofcourse,isIndia,andIndiaiswheretheIndusactuallypassesthroughbeforeitarrivesin
Pakistan.Theyhavefoughtthreewarsovertheyears,andthereareongoingdisputesintheKashmir,aswe
know.Theybelieve,somewhatparanoiacallybutwhoknows?thatIndiahasdesignstowithholdwater,useit
asapartofthediplomaticpressurepointsagainstthem,topreventitfromenteringPakistan,ifandwhenthe
situationarises.
TherewasaveryrecentsummitthattheUnitedStates,infact,helpedtofacilitatebetweenthetwoprime
ministers,ostensiblytogetpasttheproblemofbombinginMumbaibytheterroristswhooriginatedinPakistan.A
fairportionofthatmeetingwasspent,fromPakistan'sstandpoint,accusingIndiaofviolatingthe1960IndusRiver
TreatybybuildingsomehydropowerdamsonsomeofthetributariesthatleadintotheIndusandfeedtheIndus.
ThisIndusRiverTreatyisconsideredbymanytobeoneofthegreatachievementsofholdingoffwaterwarsin
thisregionoftheworld,butalmosteverybodynowbelievesitisindrasticneedofarenewal.
PakistanisalsohighlysuspiciousofIndia'saidfordamminginAfghanistan.Afghanistanprovides20percentofthe
watertotheIndusRiver.WhentheAmericansleaveeventually,Ithinktheydon'twanttofindthemselves
surroundedbyIndiaanditsalliesabletocontrolthewatervalves.
India,ofcourse,hasitsownveryseverewaterandfoodandenergyshortagecrisesinfact,inmanyways,
worsethanPakistan'sthatitistryingtomitigate.Ithasdrilledsomethinglike22milliontubewellssince1975to
feeditspopulationgrowth.Manyofthesewellsarenowgoingdry.Ontopofthat,theyalsosufferfromtheerratic
swingsofthemonsoonsforrainfedagriculture,whicharegettingworsewithclimatechange.It'snotonlyvery
possible,itisalmostasurethingthatIndiawillbeoneofthosecountriesthatnolongerwillbeabletofeeditself
inthenextnumberofyearsandwillbecomeamajorgrainimporter.Thisisgoingtochangethedynamicsof
worldfoodtrademarketsforeverybodyintheworldandbeamajorsourceofconcern.
Ofcourse,theUnitedStateshasbeenalarmedandconcernedaboutPakistanforsometime,anditsstability,and
wasverymuchalarmedinAprilof2009,when,assomeofyoumayhavenoticed,theTalibanbrokeoutofthe
northwesternprovincesandenteredintoBunerandputitwithin25milesofthisgiantTarbelaDamontheIndus.
It'ssortofliketheHooverDam,ifyouthoughtoflosingtheHoover,ortheAswanDam,forexample,inEgypt.
AnydamagetothatdamwouldcripplePakistan'shydropower,agriculture,and,obviously,anycontroloverit
wouldgiveenormousstrategicleveragetotheTaliban.
HillaryClintonandtheStateDepartment,ofcourse,didrespondtoPakistan'sconcerns.Wehavejustrecently
passeda$7.5billion,fiveyearaidpackage.Thelargestandmosturgentpartofthat,Iwantallofyoutobe
aware,wasaddressedtothosewaterissuesofirrigation,hydropower,andstorage.Theyhavealso,ofcourse,
beentryingtofacilitateasmuchaspossibletheIndiaPakistandialogueonwatersecurity.
ThisisgoingtoleverageothergreatercapitalinvestmentsthatthePakistanishave,ofcourse,butwhetherthisis
goingtobeenoughforPakistan,acountrywhere60percentofthepeoplemakealivingasfarmers,togetbythe
destabilizingpressuresfromthisfoodcrisisisanybody'sguess.
Butthere'sonebitofencouragingnewsinthis.Maybeitseemsobvioustopeople.Forthefirsttime,globalwater
scarcityisbeingrecognizedasavitalobjectiveofU.S.nationalsecurityinterestsandisbeingintegratedintothe
highestlevelprocessesattheStateDepartment.JustonMarch22,WorldWaterDay,HillaryClintongavea
speechthatsignaled,infact,this.IhadbeenspeakingtotheStateDepartmentbeforethat,andtheprocesshas
beenongoingforsometime.Buttheydo,infact,getit,whichisaveryimportantpoint.Freshwaterscarcityis
emergingasoneofthekeydrivingfulcrumsofworldgeopoliticsandcreatingawholenewcalculusofstrategic
challengesforpolicymakers.
Oneofthose,ofcourse,isrelatedtoclimatechange.Whenyouthinkofwater,youshouldthinkofclimatechange
atthesametime,becauseclimatechangeisreallythewatercrisisinhyperdrive.
Climatechangewreaksmostofitsdamagebycreatingthingslikeunpredictableandextremefloods,droughts,
meltingglaciers.Whatdotheydo?Theyoverwhelmwaterinfrastructuresthathavebeenbuiltupovertheyears
bothforharnessingtheadvantagesofwaterandprotectingusagainstitsdestructiveaspects.
Peoplewhothinkaboutwateralsorecognizethatwaterandenergyaretotallyinterconnectedwithoneanother.
MostpeoplearealittlesurprisedtorealizethatthelargestnumberofwithdrawalsforwaterintheUnited
Statesand,infact,mostindustrializedcountriesisnotforagricultureitisforenergy,formostlycooling
thermoelectricpowerplants.Now,mostofthatwatergoesbackintotheriver,hopefullyattherighttemperature
thattheytookitoutatandincleanform.Butweactuallyfacelimitations,eveninourowncountry,onthe
numberofpowerplantsthatweareabletobuildjustbecauseofthevolumesofwaterthathavetobetakenout
oftherivers.
Freshwaterscarcityisthechiefreasonwhy3.5billionpeopleareexpectedtoliveincountries,includingIndia,
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Pakistan,andpossiblyChina,thatwillnotbeabletofeedthemselvesinthenext20years.Wehaveneverhada
situationintheworldlikethat.Volatilefoodpricesareextremelyworrisomeintheheavilyfoodimportdependent
MiddleEast.Itcurrentlyimports50percentofitsfood.It'sgoingtoberisingto70percentaswateravailability
thereperpersonfallsby50percentitselfoverthenexttwogenerations.
SaudiArabiahasbeenmakingnews.Itfinallygaveupthisratherfoolhardypolicyofpumpingdryits
nonreplenishableaquiferinthedeserttobecomeselfsufficientinwheatinfact,exportingthatwheatbecause
theaquiferisjustgivingoutanditwon'tbethereanymore.Instead,theyareleasingcroplandinplaceslike
Sudan,Ethiopia,Pakistan.Someofthesearenotthemostpropitiousplacesoraretheygoingtobethemost
reliable,alsoforwatershortageandotherreasons.Butwearebeginningtoseearoundtheworldcountries
beginningtolooktoguaranteetheirfoodsupplies.Foodsecurity,which,ofcourse,isontheObama
Administration'sagenda,isstartingtotakeplace,withorwithoutus.It'shappening.
Throughouthistory,asdocumentedinthisbook,nationsthathavebeenunabletogroworreliablyimport
inexpensiveenoughfoodhaveoftendestabilizedandsometimescollapsed.Someofthosefailingstates,suchas
waterfamishedYemenandSomalia,havebeenfertilegroundforinternationalterroristgroupsYemenmost
recentlywiththeattemptedChristmasbombinginDetroit,fromthealQaedagroupthathastakenrootinthat
country.Ofcourse,Somaliahaspiracyontheshippinglanes,whichisarealproblem.
ThefactthatIsraelgetstwothirdsofitswatersupplyfromlandsthatitwonintheSixDayWar,whichitselfwas
partlytriggeredbydisputesovercontrolofJordanRiverwater,andthatathirdofitswatercomesfromtheWest
BankaquiferthatitshareswithPalestinians,inafourtoonesharingratioinIsrael'sfavorjustenoughforthe
Palestinianstodrink,butnotdomuchelsewithisoneofthoseadditionalgrievancesthatisunderlyingthe
MiddleEastpeaceprocess.TheArabsoftenaccusetheIsraelisofstealingtheirwater.
Thereareabillionpeopleinthisworldthatlackaccesstosafedrinkingwaterand2.6billiondon'thavebasic
sanitation.Thisismorethanjustahumanitariantragedy.Italsoposescontagioushealthrisksthatdonotstopat
borders,anditisamassiveproblemforeconomicdevelopment.BotharetragicallyvisibleinsideHaiti,forthose
ofyouwholookcloselyatthosestories.
Iwas,myself,inKenyalayingabouttwomilesofwaterpipes,fromawelltoawaterlessvillage.Italleviatedthe
peoplefromhavingtowalktwotothreehourseverydayalotofthemwerechildren,givingupalotoftheir
schooldays,womenaswell,whocouldnolongerdoproductiveworktofetchwater,whichisveryheavy.It
weighseightandathirdpoundspergallon.Youhavetohaveatleasttheysayatleast,minimum,13tobe
healthy.Theydon'thavethatamount.Theymightgetfourorfivegallons,ifthey'relucky,foreachoneofthem.
Butyoucanimaginecarrying200poundsofwatereverydayforthatdistance?It'saheartbreakingwasteof
personalandhumancapitalwhenyouseethat,andwhenyouknowthatitcanbesolvedsoeasily.
Therearedislocationsfromthewatershocks,likethefloodsandthemudslidesandthedroughts,thatare
overwhelmingexistingwaterinfrastructuresandhavealreadydrivenmillionsofpeoplefromruralfarmsinIndia,
Bangladesh,Syria,Iraq,andYemen,oftenpouringintocitiesthatdon'thaveenoughwaterthemselvesandthen
becomeverycombustible.Weareexpectedtohave150millionwhatsomepeoplecallclimatechange
refugeesIliketothinkofthemaswaterrefugees,becauseit'swaterthatisdrivingthemwithinadecade.
Aswaterrunsscarceandpopulationssurge,wehavethisproblemofhowtokeepthepeaceonthe263shared
riverbasinsandcountlesssharedbutinvisiblegroundwaterresourcesthatarealsodiminishing,intryingtocome
upwithpositivesumincentivesforpeopletocooperateintheseregions,astheyhaveprettymuch,remarkably,
uptothispointintime.
Wealsohaveaproblemthatthereareupriverstatesthat,insomecases,inparticularneedtobeengaged.Two
ofthemtokeepinmindareTurkey,whichisreallytheMideast'snewwatersuperpower,amongother
thingstheheadwatersofboththeTigrisandtheEuphratesriseinTurkey.Ithasotherwaterresourcesaswell,
butthroughtheEuphratesitdictatestheflowsthatgodowntoSyriaandIraq.Iraq,whichinthe1960sgotthe
lion'sshareofthewater,todaygetsabout15percentofthat.SeveraltimesSyriaandIraq,mostrecentlyinthe
fall,havegonehandinglovetotheTurkstotrytoallowmorewatertoflow.Butthatriverisdammedup150
percenttheyhaveprojectsontheboardfor150percentofthewaterthat'sintheEuphrates.Well,obviously,
that'simpossible.TheTurksaremakingthosedecisionsunilaterallyatthispointintime.
TheothercountrytokeepaneyeonisChina.ChinacontrolstheTibetanPlateau.AlmostallofAsia'smainrivers
riseinthatregion.Theyare,ofcourse,inabreakneckraceforeconomicgrowth.Theyarebuildingdamson
thoserivers.Ten,15,20yearsfromnow,IthinkwearegoingtobehearingsimilarstoriesabouttheMekongand
theSalweenrunningshort.
Arethesecountriesgoingtocooperateornot?TurkeyandChinaweretwoofthreecountriesthatvotedagainst
the1997UNconvention,notyetineffect,thatsaidthatupriverstatesshouldbehaveinsuchawaythatthey
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don'tharmdownriverstates.Theyjustdon'tlikeit.Thethirdone,bytheway,isBurundi,ontheNile,thathas
aspirationsthatIthinktheyarenotgoingtobeabletoachieve.
ButIwillpointoutmaybewecangettoitinsomeofthequestions,thedetailsonEgypt,likeIraqinthe1960s,
hasbeenintheanomaloussituationofbeingadownriverstatethathasbeenabletohavethelion'sshareofthe
water.Thatisahistorical,andnowthatdamsarebeingbuiltinEthiopiaandSudanandverypoorcountries,they
areinnegotiationsthatwilltheyhopetopreservewhattheyhave,buttheirpopulationsarerisingveryfast,too.
That'saveryscarysituationaswell.
IwouldalsojustsaythatthecorporateleadersinDavos,attheWorldEconomicForum,recentlyaddressedthis
issue.Theyraisedtheconcernaboutthesefoodbubblesthatis,allthisgroundwaterthatisbeingusedfor
producingfoodinIndiaandPakistan,inparticular,butwearedoingitintheUnitedStatesintheCentralValley,
andtheNorthChinaPlainisalsogoingdry.Whentheyhitbottom,thosefoodbubblesaregoingtoburst,andit's
goingtobeveryugly.
Theyareafraid,however,aboutanotherthing,really,morethananythingelse.Theyareworriedthat,
increasingly,insufficientquantityandqualityofwaterisgoingtodisrupttransnationalcorporatesupplychainsand
isalsogoingtopromotenationalistandantimarketbacklashesthatwilldisruptthispredictable,welcoming
environmentthatthebusinessesneedtooperate,andwhichtheworldisgoingtoneed,frankly,inafreeworld
tradingsystem,ifwearegoingtobeabletomeettheneedsofthe3.6billionpeoplewhoaregoingtolivein
countriesthatcan'tfeedthemselves.
It'strue,Idobelieve,thatwaterscarcitymayberisingtoprominenceinthe21stcentury,butitisnotexactly
truethatitisbecomingmoreimportantthanoil,asmuchasit'sreasserting,asyousaid,whathasalwaysbeen
itsprimacyasthemostcritical,indispensableresource.
I'mgoingtoskipoversomethingherethatIwouldliketogetto,maybeinthequestionandanswerperiod.Ijust
wantyoualltothinkabouthowmuchwateryouthinkyoupersonallyconsumeeachday.We'llcomebacktothat
questionifwegetaminute.Ithinkyou'regoingtobesurprisedbytheanswer.Itwillunderlineveryclearlythe
importanceofwaterforalmosteverythingthatwedo.
Ineveryageofhistory,theprosperityofeverysocietyhasdependedonhowwellithascontrolledandharnessed
itswaterresourcesforproductiveusesandprotectedagainstitsdestructiveaspects.
Invariably,ifyouthinkaboutthem,thegreatwaterworksofhistoryhavebeenamongtheepicchallengesoftheir
age,andwhenbreakthroughshavebeenmade,theyhavebeenassociatedwithturningpointsofcivilizationand
withtheriseandalsothedeclineofgreatstateswhentheyfail.Justthinkoftheagriculturalrevolutionatthe
startofworldhistoryinEgypt,intheNile,Mesopotamia,theIndus.Thesefolksgotcontroloftheseriversfor
largescaleirrigationandmanagedtoharnessthemanpowerthat'srequiredtodothatandbegantobuild
civilization.
Thinkofourownage.What'stheseminalinventionoftheIndustrialRevolution?Thesteamengine.It'swaterin
anotherform,appliedtoindustry.
Romeobviouslyhaditsaqueductsthatallowedacitytogrowtothesizeof1million,whichmaynotseemlikea
lotofpeople,butitwasanamazingnumberofpeopleinthosedaysbecausecitiesweredeathtraps,frankly,
becausetherewasnotenoughcleanwaterandsanitation.
Thinkofthecanalsthathavehadaroleinhistory.TheGrandCanalinChina1,000mileslong,earlyseventh
century.ItunifiedsouthernandnorthernChinaandwasthespringboardtowhatbecamethatremarkableageof
ChinesecivilizationintheMiddleAges.
WehaveinourownerahadtheErieCanalIthinkmanyofusinthisroomunderstandtheimportancethathad
intheUnitedStatestheSuezCanal,thePanamaCanal.
ThenyoufastforwardtothethingthatreallytransformedourFarWest.OuraridFarWestneededirrigationona
largescaletobeabletoutilizeitsresources.ThegreatbreakthroughcamewiththeHooverDam.The
multipurposedamsthatbroughtirrigation,hydropower,floodcontrolwereimmediatelyreplicatedaroundthe
worldinremarkablefashion.Therearenow45,000giantdamsaroundtheworld,halfoftheminChina,including
thelargestatThreeGorges.
ThesealsowereoneofthefacilitatorsoftheGreenRevolution.TheGreenRevolutionrequiredanintensive
amountofwatertogoalongwiththefertilizerandhybridizationofthecrops.Thisiswhatallowedtheworld
populationtogrowtosuchanenormousamountwithoutthehorrorsthatwehaveseeninworldhistorywhen
waterresourceshavebeenoutoflinewithpopulationlevels.Usuallyitadjustsbystarvationandprettymiserable
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things.
But,ofcourse,thatbringsusfullcircle.Thesuccessofeacheracreatesthechallengesofthenextera.It'sthe6.5
billionpeople,risingto9billion,withprosperity,andthewaythatweusewatertodaythatiscreatingthebasic
problemtoday.
Iwon'tgointothedetailsofitherebecausewearerunningoutoftime,butIwillcloseonthispoint.Thewater
crisisispresentingus,really,withtwogreatchallenges.Oneisawaterecosystemcrisis.Manyofourvitalwater
ecosystemsnow,fortheveryfirsttime,weneedtothinkaboutthemasrequiringwaterthemselvestobeable
tocontinuetobesustainable.Imentionedtheriversdepleting.Ihavetalkedaboutgroundwaterdepleting.Our
wetlandsaregone.Theglaciersaremelting.
Withoutpayingattentionandfiguringouthowtomanagetheecosystemsthemselves,wearegoingtobeina
toughspot.Wemaygetthrough,butit'sgoingtobetough.Therehavebeen,really,fourusesforwaterinworld
history.Butecosystemmanagementnowisthefifthnewcriticalresource.Thishastobemanagedatthesame
timethatwethinkaboutourworldsocietypolarizingincreasinglyintothewaterhavesandhavenots.
Therereallyaredifferenttypesofwaterhavenotsthatwecanaddressinthequestionandanswerperiod.Man
hastwochoicesabouthowtodealwiththese.Thebestoneistouseourexistingwaterresourcesinamuchmore
productivemanner.Butthatrequirespoliticalupheavalsthatsofarfewhavebeenwillingtoundertake.Theother
istotrytobuytimeandhopeforsomekindoftechnologyorotherkindoforganizationalinnovationtocome
aroundthatwillbailusout.Thegreatesthopesaredesalination,geneticallymodifiedfoodmorecropsforfewer
dropsandrecycling.
Inthemeantime,whatarewedoing?Weareoverpumpingthatgroundwaterasitgoesdowntothebottom.In
someplaces,likeChina,theyarebuildingmassivecanals,aqueductsbigversionsofwhatwehavein
Californiathattakewaterfromwherewethinkwehavemoreofitandmoveittowhereweknowit'sshort.
Chinahasthesouthtonorthwaterdiversionprojectsgoing,whichareprobablythelargestwaterprojectson
earthatthecurrenttime.
Butintheend,theydon'tsolvetheproblem,becauseeveninthoseotherregionstheyrunoutaswell.
Soonthatnote,I'llopenituptoquestions.Thankyouverymuch.
QuestionsandAnswers
QUESTION:It'snotbyaccidentthatyournameisSolomon.Youhaveundertakenamajor,majorissue,andwe
thankyouforit.
Iwaswaitingforwhatcameuponlyinyourlastsentence,whichis,whatcanwedoaboutit,especiallyinour
technologyfocusedage,whentherearetechnologiessuchasdesalinationthatcouldbeusedsomuchmore
widely?
Wouldyoubealittleoptimisticforusandgointosomeofthesolutions?
STEVENSOLOMON:Iwasgoingtoconcludewithwhythefuturemaynotlooklikethepast.Wehaveavoided
war,sothat'soptimisticforthemostpart.Butonthedesalinationquestionorsomeoftheothertechnologies,
desalinationisagreattechnologythat'scomingintoitsown.Itscostshavecomedowndramatically.Thereis
greatprogressbeingmadeonthereverseosmosisprocess,thefiltersandsuch.Itstillhaslimitations.Itstillisa
fossilfuelpoweredtechnology.Okay,whenyou'reshortofwater,youdon'tcare,butitdoeshaveatradeoffwith
climatechangeandotherproblems.Whenthewatercomesonshore,itstillhastobepumped,andpumping
waterisaveryenergyintensiveoperation.Ithastobemovedsomewhere.
Soit'sonlybeingused,really,inthemostcriticalofsituationsatthecurrenttime.
ButthegoodnewsisIsraelisoneofthemostprogressivecountries,actually,whenitcomestowateruse,asis
Australia,Iwilladdtheyarebuildingfivebigdesalplantsthatwilladd50percenttotheirwatersupplyby2020,
it'sprojected.ItwillproducemorewaterthantheyaretakingoutoftheWestBankaquifer,soiftheworld
decidestheywishtotradethatwaterforpeacewiththePalestinians,that'sadealthatIthinkwecando.So
that'sthere.
Therehasbeenprogressongeneticallymodifiedcropsaswell.
Buttheproblemisthetimingofthis.Evenifyouhadthebigbreakthroughsindesalinationtomorrow,the
buildoutfromsuchatinybasewouldbeprobablyprettylong.Icantellyou,there'salotofmoneyonthe
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sidelineswaitingtorushin.That'snotgoingtobetheproblem.Buttheorganizationalproblems,thethingsthat
arekeepingthesebillionpeoplewhydoabillionpeoplenothavesafedrinkingwaterintheworldtoday?It'snot
atechnicalproblem.It'sanorganizationalproblem.Thosearen'tgoingtovanishwithabreakthroughin
desalination.
SoIhavemydoubtsthatthetimingisgoingtoworkoutwell,thatyouaregoingtobeabletobuildoutfast
enoughwhateverbreakthroughsmightcomedownthepiketobeabletomeettheneedsaswaterbeginstorun
shortinsomeofthesecriticalplaces.
QUESTION:YoumentionedthatIsraelandAustraliahaverelativelyprogressivepoliciesonwatermanagement.
I'mwonderingifyoucouldgiveusasnapshotofsomeofthepoliciestherethatwouldbetranslatabletothe
UnitedStates,giventhatwehavesomanyregionaldifferenceshere.
STEVENSOLOMON:Wedoindeed.Letmejusttake,firstofall,whatAustraliahasdone,whichisafairly
remarkablething.TheMurrayDarlingBasinisoneofthemostaridareasandhasfacedanextremedroughtfora
longperiodoftime.Itisactually,asIunderstandit,somewhatanalogoustothewaythatwateritgrewup
similartothewesternportionoftheUnitedStates,actually,soit'sagoodanalogy.Therethegovernmentmoved
veryaggressively,toreuptheoldwaterrightsrules,andcreatedfromthegroundupasystemwherethe
governmentitselfwouldpurchaseenoughwaterfortheecosystem,andtherestofitbecameopenforbidding.
Theytodayhaveatradingsystem,afunctioningmarkettradingsystem,whereyoucanbuywaterrightsforthe
availableamountsofwaterthatareinthatriver.It'sdoneovermobiletelephone.Ittookthemalongtimetoget
allthekinksoutofit.
Buttheywentthroughinthelasttenyearsorsoasituationwheretheylostsomethinglike70percentofthe
waterthattheyhadhadpreviously.That'sremarkable.Theyarestillproducingthesameamountoffoodthat
theydidbefore.It'sdifferentfood.Theyarenotexportingrice,unfortunately,toMalaysiaorSingapore.Butthey
camethroughthatveryefficiently.It'ssophisticated.Becauseoftheirrigation,thatputssaltsbackinthewater.
Youcanalsotradeforifpeopleareplantingtreesthattakesaltoutoftheground,theytradetherights,because
youhavetopayforthepollutionaswell.
Israel,ontheotherhand,hasbeendoingseveralthings.About70percentofitswastewaterisnownottreatedup
topotablelevels,butiskeptasgreywaterandisthenshippeddowntothefarms,becauseyoucanusethatkind
ofwaterforagriculture.Theyhavebasicallyadualpipingsysteminthecountry,whichisveryefficient.Ofcourse,
theypioneeredthedripirrigationtechniqueslongago.
Theyhavealso,veryinterestingly,beenmoving,justlikeAustralia,totryingtoimprovetheproductivityoftheir
farmingbyactuallyraisingthecostofwatertothefarmers,whichisthethingthatwewillnotdointhiscountry
today,andmostplaceswillnotdo.Theyarebeginningtophaseoutsomeoftheiragriculture.Theyrealizethey
havetorelyonthetradingsystem.Theyjustcan'thaveselfsufficiencyinfood.Theyrecognizethat.Andtheyare
anindustrializedsociety,sotheyhaveothermeanstoearntherevenuestopayforthoseimports.
Thoseareafewofthethingsthattheyhavedone.ButfortheUnitedStatesIhavetotellyou,wearesittingon
aneconomicresourceinthiscountrythatwedon'tevenrecognize.Weareawaterwealthycountry.Wedon't
havethepopulationproblemsthatalotofotherpartsoftheworlddo.Wehaveanindustrialbasethat'svery
potent.Wehaveinstitutionalorderthatallowsus,ifweputourmindstoit,toincreasetheproductivityofour
ownwateruseverymuchmoredramaticallythanhashappenedthroughthepollutionregulations.That'stheway
wehavedoneitsofar.
Wecouldbecomeandshouldbecome,bothforourowneconomicadvantageandalsotobeabletoprovidethe
food,theindustrialgoods,andotherwaterintensiveenergyproductsthattheworldisgoingtoneeddesperately
inthenext20yearsasamatterofforeignpolicy,wewouldincreaseourleverageintheworldifwewereableto
providethatstabilitytomanyofthesecountries.
Butwearejustnoteventhinkingaboutit.It'snotevenonmostpeople'sradar.
QUESTION:Abouttenyearsagoormore,Ireadaboutaveryimaginativeprojectwhichinvolvedtowingan
icebergfromAntarcticatoSaudiArabia.IactuallymettwosummersagoaTexanwhohadacampupinCanada
whowasinvolvedinthisproject,butIdidn'thaveachancetoaskhimwhyitwasn'trepeatedandwhatthe
economicswere.Couldyoucommentonthat,please?
Thesecondquestionis,whereisthemosteffectiveresearchintodesalinationoccurringintheworld?
STEVENSOLOMON:Theanswertothefirstquestionthehonestansweris,Idon'treallyknowthetrue
answer,butIdoknowthatallthoseprojectshavebeenabandoned.TheyhadMedusaBagsthatweregoingto
carryplasticbagsandweregoingtofloatthosedown.Noneofthemreallypannedout.Andthefactthatthere
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wasaTexaninvolveddoesn'tsurpriseme,becausetheyhavebeenthinkingaboutthesebig,massivewater
movingschemesacrosstheUnitedStatesfordecadestotrytogetwaterdownintoTexas.
Thesecondoneis,there'salotgoingon.SouthernCaliforniahaslaunchedsomebigprojects.ImentionedIsrael.
Cyprushassomethings.Singaporehassomeverystateoftheartdesalinationplants.Alotofbigcompaniesare
workinginthisarea.Agreatconsolidation,actually,tookplace,wherethe3MsandtheGEsandalltheothers
werebuyingupallthelittle,small,creativecompanies.Theyareworkingverymuchonthemembrane
technology.That'sreallywherealotoftheactionisthere.
Sotherearealotofpeopleworkingonit.It'snotgoingtofailbecausepeopleareignoringit.
QUESTION:Thefigureyougaveofshootingfor50percentofIsrael'swatersupplyfromdesalinationIthinkis
fascinating.Canyoutelluswhatpowertheyareusingtodothat?
Asasupplementtothat,hastherebeenanythoughtofhavingnuclearplantsassociatedwithdesalinationplants?
WhatisIsraelusingfortheirpowersource?Isitoil?
STEVENSOLOMON:Itisfossilfuel.I'mnotsureifit'sgas.Ithinkit'sagasform,butI'mnot100percentsure
onthat.Iwouldhavetoresearchthatandgetbacktoyouonthat.
Asfornuclear,againI'mnotsureoftheanswer.Certainlypeoplehavethoughtaboutit.Butnuclearhasnotbeen
exactlythemostpopulartechnologyinsomepartsoftheworldrecently.Ihavenotheardthattoomuchwith
regardtodesal.
QUESTION:IwascuriousaboutyourremarkthattheUnitedStatesissuchawaterwealthynation.EverythingI
readtalksaboutouraquifersdepleting,theOgallalaoutintheMidwest,terribledroughtsandtheparched
Southwestperennially,thegreatwasteofwaterwhichthiscountryisembarkedon.Iwonderwhatyour
predictionisoverthenextfewdecades.
STEVENSOLOMON:Wehaveapproximately,ofaccessible,reliablewater,somethingontheorderof8percent
oftheworld'swaterandwehaveonly4percentofthepopulationfivetimesmorepercapitathanChina,for
example,andmorethanthatforIndia,whichIthinkisaseventooneratio.Thefactthatwedo,infact,wastea
lotofthewater,asyoumentioned,ispartofourproblem.Someofit,ofcourse,isalsopollutedaswell.
Theusagequestionspipesleak.Weknowthat.Theproblemhereisthatwehaveneverputaneconomicvalue
onthewateritself.Eventhedeliveryofthewaterthinkaboutwhatgoesintoit.Youhavetocollectthewater.
Youhavetoprefilterit,senditdowninthepipes.Ittakesenergy.Thenyouhavetotreatthewastewaterbefore
itgoesout.It'sabig,involvedprocess.Almostnobodyintheworldactuallychargesasufficientamountevento
keepupthepipes,muchlessfortheactualcostofthewater.
Ontopofthatmostofitgoestoagriculturethatisveryuneconomicallyproductive,relativelyspeaking.Butyou
havetoeat.Somesubsidiesareinevitableinthisprocess.Butyoureallywantittoencouragetheagriculture
that'sgoingtouseitinamuchmoreefficientmanner.
I'llgiveyouonestatistic,justthisonething.IntheUnitedStates,between1900and1975,ourwaterusegrew
threetimesfasterthanpopulation.Thiswasanormalhistorictrend.Today,asIsaid,intheworldthesituationis,
it'stwiceasfastasworldpopulation.Butfrom1975tothecurrentday,ourwateruseinthiscountryhasnotonly
plateaued,ithasactuallydeclinedalittlebit.Ourpopulationhasgoneup30percentinthemeantime,andour
GDPhasnotsufferedeither.Therehasbeenanenormousincreaseinwaterproductivity.
Whydidthathappen?Thethingthathappenedthatstandsoutisthatthatisassociatedwiththeperiodthatwe
putintheCleanWaterAct.Suddenlytherewasaneffectivecostputonthewateruseforthosetowhomit
applied.Itdidnotapplytoagribusinesses,forthemostpart.Itappliestothermoelectricplants,toindustry,to
whatwecallpointsourcesandtosomecities.Those,beingmarkets,respondedthewaybusinessesaregoingto
respond.Theysaid,"Ifwe'regoingtohavetoputbackthiswaterintotheenvironmentinthesamewaywetook
itout,we'regoingtotrytofigureouttechnologiestouselessofit,tofindbettertechnologiestouseitsothatit's
notsocostly."
Sotherehasbeenagreatproductivityincreaseinthiscountry.Let'ssaythatisa30percentincrease.Youcould
probablyeasilydoublegoto100percent,ifyoucouldputtheserulesontheagribusinesses.Thecities
themselvesareexpected,eveninCalifornia,inthenewbillthattheyareworkingonoutthere,toincreaseby20
to30percentjustinthecities,whichhavealreadydonealottherecyclingtechnologies,whichisactuallyone
ofthebettertechnologies.
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QUESTIONER:[Notatmicrophone]
STEVENSOLOMON:Therecyclingofwater.Inotherwords,thewastewaterthatweproduceisactuallyvery
clean.Infact,Ithinktheastronautsdrinkpurifiedwastewaterthemselves.Wecandrinkit.Infact,inWindhoek,
inAfrica,theyactuallydo.Butinmostplacestheyputitbackintothegroundandthenpullitoutagain,just
becausetoilettotapdoesn'tseemsoappealing.
Butitworks.Again,thesesamemembranetechnologiesweweretalkingaboutbeforeindesalarealsobeing
appliedinmakingprogressinthisarea.
Thereisanawfullotthatcanbedone.Butyouhavetostartbygettingthemarketengagedintheprocessof
usingwaterefficiently,andalsowithinaframeworkthatsaysthatmaintainingtheecosystemhasacost.
Ihavebeengoingaroundsayingthatyoureallyneedtodotwothings.Youhavetoderegulatesomeofthemore
egregiouspoliticallysubsidizedusesofwater,bothonthesupplysideandonthepollutionside.Atthesametime,
youputinagoldenrulethatsayseverybodyhastoreturnwatertotheenvironmentinthesamecleancondition
youtookitoutin,sothenextguyhasthesamefairuseofitthatyoudid.It'ssortoffairplay.Obviouslythisis
reallyhardtogettoandtherearealotofcomplicationsandallofthat.Butasageneralprinciple,itwould
engagemarketforcesonthesideofacleanenvironmentandusingwaterefficiently.Itwouldbegreat.
QUESTION:Doyouknowofanyexamplesofmultilateralorbilateraltreatiescoveringtherightofonestateto
divertwatersoroverusewatersupriver?
STEVENSOLOMON:Oh,yes.
QUESTIONER:Oranydecisionsofinternationaltribunalsthatsetforthprinciplesonthis?
STEVENSOLOMON:TribunalsI'mnotsureof.
Therehasbeengreatworkdoneonthis.Forallthepredictionsofwaterwarsandallofthat,therehasbeenfar
morecooperationaroundtheworld.Therearemanyriversthathavebasinagreementsamongstthemonwater
sharing.TheMekonghashadone,withoutChina,foralongtime.Imminentlywe'reexpectingoneontheNile.I
won'tgointothehistorythere,butthatwouldbeabreakthrough.Therearedozensofthose.
Thethingthatmakesthemworkisthatwhenyoucooperateonariver,itshouldbeapositivesumgame.You
shouldbeabletogetmoreresourcesoutoftheriverthaneachpersongoingontheirownandgrabbingwhatthey
can.Thathappensbecausewheredoyouputstorage?Forexample,wehaveAswanDam,storedinaterrible
place.Theylose12percentofthewaterintheriverjustbecauseofevaporation.WhentheBritishcontrolledthe
wholeregion,theyweregoingtoputitupinthehighlands,wheretherewasmuchlessevaporation.
Sometimesyouwanttocleanupswampsthatmaybealsodivertwaterandresources.
Sobycooperatingandnotonlythat,peopleinthisfieldsaythatwater,ratherthanbecomingasourceof
conflict,actuallybecomesoneofthosethingsthatrivalsfindthemselvesabletoagreeuponandthenexpandinto
otherareasofagreement,findingcommongroundsinnegotiationsbetweenthem.
Idon'tthinkithasyetreachedtheleveloflawataninternationallevel.IhavespokenanawfullottotheWorld
BankpeoplethathavedonealotofworkinnegotiatingtheseagreementsthatareactiveontheNile.
QUESTION:Agreatpointonthecooperationthatyoujustmentioned.Forexample,regardingtheGreatLakes,
thereisagreatprojectbetweeneightU.S.statesandtwoCanadianprovincestomakeanefforttoprevent
diversionsandtomanagewaterquality.
ButIhaveaquestiononthemarketmechanismspointyoubroughtupearlier.Asopposedtoothercommodities,
likesoybeans,oranges,orcorn,waterisessentialforhumansustenance.Ineconomicterms,it'stheultimate
publicgood.Sodoesitmakeanysensetomakeacommodityoutofwatertoprivatizeit,inotherwords?
STEVENSOLOMON:That'snotnecessarilyprivatizingit.Thegovernmentstillownsit,inmostcases.
Butthewaytogoforwardisthis.Ithinkthemostenlightenedwaytothinkaboutitthat'sagoodpointyou
makeiswhatsomepeoplecallthethreeEs.Itshouldbethreethingsatonce:aneconomicgood,ifyouwill,
usedefficientlywaterfortheecosystemitselfandequity,socialequity.
Thewaythatyoumakethisworkinpractice,Ithink,ifyoucouldnegotiategoodcontracts,isthatyoushould
havetieredpricing,meaningthatforthelowestamountofusagelet'ssaythe13gallonsthatpeoplebelieveis
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theminimumthatweallneedtohaveagoodqualityoflifeitcanbefree.Itcanbefreeoronedollar,
somethingeverybodycouldafford.Asthevolumesmoveupintermsofusage,thepricegoesup,toencourage
efficiencies,ratherthanencouragingwaste.
Forexample,todayinCalifornia,weareworkingongrandfatheredwaterrightsthatgotoagribusinessesthatgot
thewaterwhentheoriginalirrigationsystemswereputin.Theycallitauseitorloseitkindoflawoutthere,
whereiftheydon'tuseallthewaterthatwasallocatedtothem,ortheirgrandparentsorgreatgrandparents,
theylosetherighttoit,anditgoesdowntosomebodyelse.Sotheyjustfloodtheirfields,regardless.It's
inefficientuseofthatwater.Theyflooditaway.Theguyswhocomerightaftertheminwaterrights,who
sometimesgetthewaterandsometimesdon'tgetthewater,areveryefficientusersofthewater,becausethey
sometimesdon'tgetenough.Theyaretheoneswhoareleadingthecause.
Butthelogiciscrazy.It'sinverted.
Sotheanswertothequestionis,youhavetoprotectthebasichumanrightIdothink,ifthereisaphysicalright
toanyphysicalgood,itshouldbewater.And13gallonswouldnotstrainanybody'sreservoirs.That'snot
hardevenmorethanthat.IthinkinEuropetheyuse50to60perhousehold,maybealittlemore.Weuse150.
Wedon'tevenneedthatmuch.Butwecouldpaymore.Ifyouwanttouse150,letuspayalittlemore.Butthen
whenyougettothebigvolumeusers,thepricegoesup.
Theproblemhasbeen,wherethishasoccurredinothercountrieswheretherehavebeenproblems,likeinBolivia
andelsewhere,thateitherthecontractsweremadebadlyandthepriceswentupforpoorpeoplebeyondwhat
theycouldaffordorthegovernmentswereineptorcorrupt,andthebusinesses,frankly,wereveryshortsighted.
Itallledtopoliticalbacklashesthatgotthemkickedoutofthecountriesanyway.
It'sorganization.
QUESTION:Ijustwanttofollowupalittlebitonthelastquestionontheseagreementsthathavebeenmade,as
yousaid,moreonacooperativebasis.TheyseemtobeflowingthrougheconomicchannelsoftheWorldBankor
regionalinstitutions.Atthesametime,with263ofthesesharedbasins,thereseemstobeanopportunityfor
somelevelofpreventivediplomacy,lookingforwardintermsofforeignpolicy.Doyouthink,givenyourresearch
andwhatyouknowoftheseagreementsthathaveworked,it'sbetterthatitisreallychanneledthroughthe
economicorganizationsand,inasense,aseconomicpolicy,ratherthangoingdownthechannelsofthe
internationalpoliticalUNconventionroute?
WehavedonealittlebitofworkwithparliamentariansinSouthAsiaonwatermanagementandalsointhe
CaucusesandtheAegean.Thosesucceededbecauseitwasfocusedontheeconomicsharedgrowthconceptrather
thanlookingatitintermsofpoliticsanddiplomacy.
Ijustwonderwhereyouthinkthisisheadedorshouldhead.
STEVENSOLOMON:It'sabigquestion.It'snotonethatIresearchedverythoroughly,sotakemyanswerfor
whatit'sworth.It'sjustanopinion.
YoudidmentionthatIdidanotherbookanditwillbeinfluencedbythat,toooninternationaleconomic
policymakingintheareaoffinance.Isawhowtheworldworkedalittlebitinthoseareas.
IguessIhaveabitofacynicalview.Idothinkthatcountriesultimatelyactinwhattheygenerallyperceivetobe
theirbestinterests.Sometimespassionsoverruletheirbestinterests.Butyoudowanttofindsomethingwhere
everybodyseesthatthereissomethinginitforthemeconomically.
Ifyoucandoitlocallyandregionally,that'sthebest,obviously,becauseyouknowallthedetails,andevery
watersituationisdifferent.There'snocookiecutterforanyoftheseproblems.IfyoudoitthroughWorldBank
mediationtheWorldBankusedtocontrolthefinancialstrings.Thatwasitslever.Theyhavelostthatlever
today.Chinaisfinancing220dams,approximately,aroundtheworldrightnow,includingonesinEthiopiaand
SudanthattheWorldBankwouldnothavefinancedearlierbecauseEgyptwouldhaveobjectedtoit,andwould
nothavedonethesethreeEs.
Sothere'sabitofanunrulyaspecttothis.
Ontheotherside,that'sgood,becausesometimes,frankly,theWorldBankandsomeoftheinternational
institutionsareverystultifyinginstitutions.Brazilhasbeengoingonitsownandhasdonegreatthings,actually,
outsideofwhatweresortofconsideredthebestpracticesofthedaybythemultilaterals.
That'ssortofajumbledanswer.Ijustthinkthatdifferentlevelshavetostartworkingonit.TheState
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Department,forthefirsttime,isengaged.HarvardhastheformerheadoftheWorldBankupthere,andtheyare
focusingonanumberofthesecountriesaswell.Theyarebringingtogethersomeresourcesthatcanworkon
someofthetechnicalproblems.
Thereareverydeepsocialproblemsineachoneofthesewaterissues.Equityissuesareveryprofound.When
theybuildadam,forexample,peoplearemovedout.Itupsetsthesocialstructuresinsocieties.Ifyouupsetthe
localcommunitysocialstructures,theseprojectsdon'twork.Sothereisawholelevelofcomplication.
Ithinkthemorepeoplethatarefocusingonitandawareofit,bringingattentiontoit,itgivesyouahigher
chanceofsuccess.
JOANNEMYERS:Ithankyouverymuch.Beforeweconclude,youjusthavetotellus,howmanygallonsof
waterdoweconsumeeveryday?
STEVENSOLOMON:That'sright.Thankyouforremindingme.It's1,000gallons.You'reforgettingthefoodyou
eatandallthewaterthatwentintothefoodyoueat.Ifyoueatahamburger,byitselfit's700or800gallons.So
ifyou'reameateater,it'sabignumber.Theshirtonyourback700gallonsforaTshirt.Alittlecomputerchip?
That's2,000gallonsofultrapurifiedwatertomakethattinylittlechip.Andindustriesarehugeusersofwater.
Soyourealizethatwhenyoubegintothinkofit,waterisreallyabigdealineverythingthatwedo.
JOANNEMYERS:Onthatnote,Ithankyouverymuchforjoiningus.
SHARETHISTRANSCRIPT: Share |
Copyright2010CarnegieCouncilforEthicsinInternationalAffairs
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