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Introduction Water and Life C.A. Mumma Martinon, PhD The importance of watercourses to human life and development cannot be overemphasised. Throughout human development, watercourses have played a major role as the medium of communication, trade, agriculture, fishing, recreation, tourism, culture, and location of human settlements. The importance of watercourses has become even more significant in the light of the ever-increasing human population. As the human population increases, a corresponding need arises for fresh water for domestic consumption and for agricultural and industrial uses.1 Most of the world’s largest rivers are international and with the formation of the confederation of independent states, the number is growing. Nearly 40% of the world’s population is dependent on about 43 international rivers in the Americas, 20 in Europe, 27 in Africa and 50 in Asia.2 47% of the world (excluding Antarctica) falls within shared rivers and lake basins, from a high of nearly 60% of the areas in Africa to South America to a low of about 40% in North and Central America.3 For instance, the Amazon Basin is shared by seven nations, the Danube by more than eight, both the Niger and the Nile by more than seven, the Rhine by seven, the Zaire by nine and the Zambezi by six nations. India and Bangladesh haggle over the Ganges-Brahmaputra, while Mexico and the US do the same over the Rio Grande; Egypt, Ethiopia and the Sudan over the Nile; Iraq, Syria and Turkey over the Euphrates and the Tigris. The situation above shows that any management of water should be done in a co-operative manner since water does not respect territorial boundaries and the consequences of its use or removal by upstream countries are immediately felt downstream. Because of population increase and increasing demand of water for agriculture, industry and urbanisation, a large number of countries fall into the category of ‘water scarce’4 nations. Observers say that by the year 2025, 48 countries in the world will be severely short of water and that the people on earth will not have access to clean water supplies. For instance, in Africa alone, 300 million people - a third of the continent’s population - have already started living under water scarcity situations as of the beginning of the millennium.5 Unless something is done to thwart the problem, twelve more African countries will join the thirteen that already suffer from ‘water stress’ or ‘water scarcity’ about a quarter century 2 from now, Since the amount of available freshwater is, however, not increasing, there is now more than ever before, an urgent need to take effective measures for proper management of freshwater resources, including their protection and preservation from activities that cause their pollution. It is within this background that in Nairobi, Hekima College in collaboration with the Jesuit Hakimani Centre and French Institute for Research in Africa (IFRA) hosted the Hekima College Water Day Academic Seminar on 20 March, 2009 with the theme ‘Shared Waters, Shared Opportunities’. Here, critical issues affecting shared water resources in Africa and different perspectives from other parts of the world were discussed. This book is therefore, a result of the research and presentations from renowned scholars, researchers and experts from different countries and the students of the Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations – Hekima College. The book examines some of the conflicts surrounding water in Africa and loopholes in the existing institutional frameworks. It highlights the existing management mechanisms locally and illuminates the different practices for effective water management towards the reduction of political and natural resource tension in the region. The main significance of this book is the time period for the water conflict management issue. For the most part of 2009, Kenya faced severe water scarcity. The water crisis in Kenya led to perpetual water and electricity rationing, a rise in food prices, drought, the death of both humans and animals, and a proliferation of water borne diseases among other problems. In a city like Nairobi, many taps went dry and many households went for several months without running water, resulting in exorbitant water prices, which in most cases the majority could not afford. In 2010, various parts of the country were faced with flooding, which saw many people and cattle dying, homes and roads being swept away leaving many homeless and displaced. This, coupled with huge landslides in affected areas, left many wondering which is the best way to manage water and thus water related conflicts, not...

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