Transboundary river conflicts And CS - WATER CYCLE

Question 1

Name 4 case studies for transboundary river conflicts

Answer 1

1. The River Nile
2. The Mekong
3. River Jordan
4. River Rhine

Question 2

What is transboundary river?

Answer 2

is a river that flows across or forms a boundary between two or more countries.

Question 3

What are conflicts in the River Nile and give stats? ( Dam)

Answer 3

• Flows through 11 different countries- Egypt, Burundi,
  Tanzania, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo etc
• Main tributaries are the White Nile which starts in Sudan and the Blue Nile which starts in Ethiopia
• Egypt relies on the Nile for 90% of its water. water rights along the Nile have been in disputes since 1959

Conflicts
- Ethiopia’s construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, a major tributary of the Nile, has been a source of tension. Ethiopia sees the dam as crucial for its economic development, while Egypt is concerned about its water supply, as it relies heavily on the Nile for freshwater.
- Disputes involving Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia its been characterised by drains of natural and historic rights to the Nile Waters under the terms of 1929 and 1956 watercourse treaties- provided Cairo with veto power over projects on the river

Solutions:
- Nile Basin Initiative is a cooperative framework among Nile River riparian countries aimed at addressing common challenges and promoting sustainable development. However, progress has been slow due to historical tensions and differing priorities.

Question 4

What are the conflicts in the river Mekong

Answer 4

• found in south east asia
• Home to richest area are of biodiversity in the world with more than 20,000 plant species and 850 fish species yet to be discovered
• People living in the lower mekong river basin depend on it/ Historical preservation
• Rich in natural resources make the river crucial
• Rapidly changing due to industrialization, urbanisation and economic development

Conflicts:
- Construction of dams by Lao and China caused disputes as well as exploitation of the resource
- Interstate tensions were due to many factors such as: Climate change, change in temps and precipitation, industrialisation, pollution, environmental degradation, decline in fish stocks, increased water scarcity and change in access to availability of natural resources.

solutions:
- Mekong river commission formed to help resolve tensions but is limited due to China’s reluctance to join
- Upstream and downstream collaboration but no guarantee that the downstream will respect interests of the upstream
- To promote peace, regional cooperation and development, the UN encouraged a committee to be formed in 1957.

Question 5

What are the conflicts in the river Jordan? - ( Water scarcity)

Answer 5

conflicts:
-Water Resource Allocation:
The Jordan River is a vital water source in a region facing water scarcity. The water from the river is used for agricultural, industrial, and domestic purposes by Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinians.
The per capita water availability in the region is relatively low, and there have been disputes over the equitable distribution of water resources.

-Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
The Jordan River serves as a natural border between Israel and the West Bank, and water access is a point of contention. Palestinians in the West Bank have at times faced challenges in obtaining sufficient water for their needs.

-Due to conflict, the river has been depleted by drought, pollution and overuse.
In half a century, the Jordan River has lost more than 90% of its normal flowdue to dams built by Israel.
Fresh-water is diverted from the Sea of Galilee in the North via Israel’s National Water Carrier to arid and densely populated areas in the South.

-Water is a scarce resource to every country in the region – and many are host to semi-arid environments which get less than 50cm of precipitation yearly.

Question 6

Why does the River Rhine have less conflict?

Answer 6

Historical conflict over Rhine River: - arguemnt over land as in 1840 as french minister demanded river Rhine to be restored as the border from Germany.

There is less conflict regarding the Rhine River as all surrounding countries are a part of the European Union trade block.

Being a part of the EU trade bloc enables all member states to have good international relations between them as it emphasises maintaining partnership which are based on mutual benefits and interests

can also talk about the murray darling as less conflict.