ABSTRACT
UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Mun pointed out extremely important and extraordinary points
in his remark at Opening of the 7th World Water Forum held in Daegu, Gyeongbuk, The Republic of
Korea in 12 April 2015. He said that; “Instead of seeing scarce water as a reason for competition or
conflict, we have to treat it as a challenge to collaborate, a challenge to engage in innovative hydrodiplomacy. In today’s world, we must be more aware of the risks of water conflict.” It is important to
note the emphasis on “collaboration and innovative hydro-diplomacy” in his remarks. While speaking
on the occasion of World Water Day 2013, the Secretary General had also said, “Water scarcity
threatens economic and social gains … And it is a potent fuel for wars and conflict.” Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon’s warnings were reflected in the offcial definition of water security provided by
the United Nations University- IWEH, which says. “The capacity of a population to safeguard
sustainable access to adequate quantities of and acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods,
human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne
pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political
stability.” It is important to note the emphasis on “in a climate of peace and political stability” in this
definition. The concerns of the United Nations are justified as the world faces an era of depleting
water resources. The World Water Development Report of UNESCO, released in March 2015 warns
us of serious depletion of water supplies by 2050, while at the same time, significant increase in
demand due to population growth, economic development and urbanisation, among other factors.
Different effects of climate change are today contributing to even more water scarcity and greater
security risks. It shows us that we need an effective and mutually beneficial solution of water
resources-related problems. At the global scale, the effective and mutually beneficial solution of water
resources-related problems underlie peace, security and stability. But this can become a reality only if
we change our conceptual approaches to domestic and transboundary water management.
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