Latin America; in English (pdf) - Transboundary Freshwater Dispute ...

Seaplane lands near shipping docks, Amazon (Peru). Photo credit: Iva Nafzinger.
Even with such a large amount of water, the
hydrological factors pressuring the system are
stressing many regions of South America. Pollution
is reducing the actual amount of water resources
available and causing disease and sickness all
over the continent. Variations in the climate are
exacerbating already stressed conditions.
Groundwater use is drying up the region’s stored
water and endangering its purity.
The institutional framework within the
international river basins is inadequate if the
governments of South America want to preserve
the way of life they already have and improve
their standards of living. Public participation is
lacking on many levels and overall governance
of international water resources is minimal at
best. Now that there has been a transition from
SAMTAC to the South American Water Partnership,
it is unknown whether, after SAMTAC’s lack of
success, this will be a step in the right direction.
To add to this already bleak situation is
that of the human condition in South America.
Poverty is a serious problem in many of the
transboundary water basin areas and without
alleviating this problem, sustainable management
will be nearly impossible. With the population
rising, especially that of urban areas, water
demands are going to go up over the next two
decades and stress the situation to a greater
degree. With the La Plata River basin growing by
22 million inhabitants by 2025, this will put a
large strain on water resources that are already
being stressed by pollution and overuse.
As the situation stands at this moment, the
potential for conflict, the hydropolitical vulnerability
in the region, is high. Too many factors
have the possibility of affecting a region where
the water is concentrated in certain areas and
lacking in others. This does not mean that war is
going to be fought over shared waters, but the
Crab catch, Belém, northern Brazil. Photo credit: Gretchen Bracher.
Chapter 3. Hydropolitical Vulnerability, South America — 75