WATER – CAUSE OF CONFLICTS IN THE WORLD International conflicts Water has an enormous importance to world peace. Analysts predict that in the XXI century it will come to water wars mainly in the areas, where the water supply has already started to run out, e.g. in Africa. This is especially true when river flows through several countries or when the river forms the border. In the past there have already been conflicts connected with this issue (e.g. concerning dividing the waters of the Nile between Egypt and Sudan).

60% of the world's drinking water resources are controlled only by 9 countries (Canada, Russia, China, India, Brasil, Indonesia, Kongo, Colombia and the USA). Journalist and traveller Ryszard Kapuscinski thought that the XXI century will be the century of water wars.

Among the most famous conflicts over water, the following can be distinguished: - between Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Lebanon over water of the Jordan, - between Pakistan and India over water of the Indus, - between Iraq, Syria and Turkey over water of the Euphrates,

A small river of Jordan, most of which flows through the border areas of several countries, has become a cause of constant clashes between Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority.

War and politics in this region are associated with water, and though the word ''water'' does not appear in the official reports, everything actually revolves around this strategic resource. Ariel Szaron, General and the Prime Minister of Israel, once said that the Six-Day War broke out not June 5, 1967, but two and a half years earlier (1964), when Israel, building a huge water intake on Jordan, turned the water in the Dead Sea in brine.

PAKISTAN AND INDIA The largest river, which flows through Pakistan is the Indus. Its sources are in India. Since the mid-fifties, India and Pakistan are in the constant state of war. Conflict of Indus began when the Indian government expanded the network of irrigation channels, irrigating one of the provinces with the waters of the river. As a result, the flow decreased substantially, which affected the Pakistani agriculture.

CONFLICT SYRIA - TURKEY Another conflict is the one over Euphrates water. Syria built a dam and a reservoir Madinat as – Saura, blocking access to water to Iraq. Moreover, Turkey, the land with 89%of the tributaries of the river, built water tanks, which, in turn, reduced access to Syria and Iraq.

Water as the target of military operations: In 1992, during the war in Bosnia, the Serbs cut off a powerful pipeline supplying water to Sarajevo from the tank in Bacewo. There were large amounts of harmful chemicals (pesticides) introduced into the tank. This caused huge problems with water supply of the population and epidemics of various diseases in Sarajevo.

“ Water is the life blood of the planet. Nothing lives without it. Water runs through the veins of the entire planetary system. And just like the blood in our body, we cannot survive without it. And just like our blood, water has many different types. And just like our body, if our blood is polluted so are we. And just like our body, water has a complicated elemental and astounding circulation system. And just like our body when that natural circulation system is interfered with or blocked, we get sicker and sicker. So we are of the same origin and contain the same elements” (Robert).

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