Water shortages hit Darfur - Water will become Sudan's most precious resource

Life is short. Taking a break. Can't stomach reading any more news of calls for war and death that gives thieves, terrorists, killers and rapists a field day. Can't bear to see any more photos of uneducated African children living in war zones where billions of dollars are wasted on greedy, power crazy, good for nothings.

Water shortages hit Darfur. Despite the arrival of the rainy season in south Darfur the country is still faced with critical water shortages, International Committee of the Red Cross reported 7 Sep 2006.



War is senseless. As noted here many times before, countries with water shortages need to be helped by armies of world class land rights lawyers and water engineers to enable clean drinking water to be accessible where needed.



Sudan is a country the size of Europe. For sure, scientists say, it will face increasing water shortages (hence more fighting and killing over water holes, livestock, arable land) due to climate change. A dear old English friend, who'd lived and worked in the Sudan 50 years ago, once described to me Sudan's ongoing crises as "too many people living in the wrong place". I fear he is correct.

CONCERNS OF ARAB NOMADS REMAIN LARGELY UNADDRESSED

Note, many nomadic groups occupy pastures belonging to displaced communities while concerns of Arab nomads remain largely unaddressed.



See sister blog Niger Watch, Mar 5 2006 and read how The 21st century's most explosive commodity will be . . . WATER

PS Thanks for all the emails and comments. Sorry unable to keep up with replies. Must rest now. God bless the children of Africa.
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SOLVE CLIMATE 'WHATEVER IT COSTS'

World's most wanted: climate change

A major contributing factor to the conflict in Darfur has been a shift in rainfall that has put nomadic herders and settled pastoralists into conflict with each other.

It is now becoming increasingly clear that it is what we do in the next 15 years that matters most.

Source: BBC John Ashton viewpoint, 8 Sep 2006.
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TIME WINDOW IS 10 to 15 YEARS

Solve climate 'whatever it costs'

"The lawlessness of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and the horrors of Darfur, exacerbated by changes to rainfall patterns, '... illustrate how an unstable climate will make it harder to deliver security unless we act more effectively now to neutralise the threat.'

According to Felix Dodds, co-editor of the recent book Human Environmental Security - an Agenda for Change, diplomatic failure on climate change may well lead to conflict.

'John Ashton is right in his analysis, and international discussions are critical to solving this issue,' he said, 'because the alternative is you do end up with military solutions.

'There is a time window, and that window is 10 to 15 years - if we don't deal with it now, the reality is we will have to use military means to secure water, food, and energy security.'"

Source: Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News Sep 8 2006.
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MOHAMMED ON PROPERTY RIGHTS

PSD Blog - World Bank Group July 18, 2006:

The prophet Mohammed was an early proponent of property rights. When a famine in Medina brought sharp price increases, people implored him to less the hardship by fixing prices. He refused because, having once been a merchant himself, he believed the buyers' and sellers' free choices should not be overridden. "Allah is the only one who sets the prices and gives prosperity and poverty," he said. "I would not want to be complained about before Allah by someone whose property or livelihood has been violated."

From John McMillan's 'Reinventing the Bazaar.' See a previous post from the same book.