Resource-based conflict ranges from the national level around issues on development to the individual level revolving around people's everyday concerns of life and survival.

There are many national resources that are extracted for economic growth and daily use, yet I can think of no resource more important than water. People can live without oil, diamonds and gold, but undeniably people cannot survive without water for drinking and cooking. Access to water means access to life.

And yet, while indispensable, safe drinking water is accessible to only a limited part of the population across the globe. Consequently, this limited access to water becomes the object of conflict among individuals, communities, and countries. In this reflection paper, I will look into how water can be subjected to conflict and the possible solutions.

First, water is necessary for human survival on earth yet is becoming scarce, with millions of people having no adequate safe water for daily use. The demand for water grows ever greater. Thus, conflict over potable water becomes even more unavoidable in particular in places where water is limited, such as many communities in Africa. There is widespread recognition that the Rwanda genocide and the Darfur crisis are strongly associated with water conflicts. It is worth bearing in mind that some people fight to death for water just for their survival while others use water carelessly without thinking about the consequences for the future. Moreover, due to the unequal distribution of water in various places and the increase in water consumption, water is increasingly becoming a common source of dispute.

Water is used not only for daily consumption by households and individuals, but also for development purposes at the local, national, and international levels such as in building dams across rivers, transporting merchandise, and other infrastructure. Oftentimes, the conflict at the local level occurs between companies, local governments, and people on the ground, and it is the local people immediately affected by development projects. The conflict often originates from the lack of consultation, information, coordination, and transparency among policy makers and project managers. Usually, companies establish agreements with local governments without consulting local people on the impact of the proposed projects.

People are often disregarded and marginalized by the companies' policies. Oftentimes, companies do not conduct environment assessments carefully before starting their projects. This is the reason why many projects are opposed by local people and assisting NGOs on the ground. For instance, dam projects severely affect the livelihood of people who live along the rivers and lakes by destroying ecosystems in these water bodies.

By way of example, the proposed Xayaburi dam project was postponed by the Mekong River Commission due to the lack of assessments on its impact on water resources and the environment. People who have long depended mostly on the Mekong River for their survival and livelihood are relocated to different places where they find it hard to eke a living.

It is worth noting that for those displaced, there is not enough compensation from the company that initiated the dam project, creating more resentment from both local people and civil society organizations. If the company proceeds with the project despite the lack of consultation and compensation, its actions only exacerbate the situation and may lead to violent conflict and confrontations.

Another type of misuse and mismanagement of water resources is the dumping of solid wastes and contaminated water into rivers, lakes, and streams by factories. These seriously pollute the rivers and other waterways, and put people's lives along these areas at great risk. Under such conditions, people can no longer have safe and clean water for cooking, drinking, and bathing. People can no longer go fishing.

This problem however does not come only from factories releasing toxic chemicals into the rivers but also from poor management and policies of governments. The governments do not have defined policies in dealing with these factories. Worse, governments usually take this issue from granted, leaving people and waterways at great risk.

Corruption in governments is another major concern complicating the water problems. As the problems unfold, local communities protest against the factories and seek intervention from the governments and various environment NGOs. Sometimes, violence may occur as no matter how hard local people try to protest against the factories and their governments, the problem remains unsolved and unsettled. In such a situation local communities continue to suffer. In some cases, people are eventually forced to leave their homes.

At an international level, water conflicts usually occur between countries upstream and downstream. It is generally perceived that upstream countries enjoy more benefits and access to water than those downstream. Conflict occurs when the upstream countries do not use water wisely. For instance, an upstream country builds factories on the riverbank without informing the country downstream, thus provoking dispute and confrontations. There are cases where factories, in violation of proper waste management policies, release toxic substances into the river, thereby adversely affecting ecosystems and lives downstream, thus creating conflict between the two countries.

If the two countries have a legacy of bad historical ties, violent conflict can easily erupt. The pulp mill dispute between Uruguay and Argentina is a good example of how water can play a part in triggering and escalating international conflict. It is a dispute between individual citizens, organizations, and the governments of the two nations regarding the construction of pulp mills on the Uruguay River in Uruguayan territory.

The conflict started when the Uruguayan government authorized a Spanish company and a Finnish company to build pulp mills in the upstream part of the Uruguay River, which is shared with Argentina and protected under a treaty between the two countries. People from Argentina who live downstream were concerned about the pollution and environmental degradation along the river, which could severely affect their livelihood, fishing industry, water transportation, and tourism. The construction led to demonstrations, tensions, and diplomatic confrontations to the point that the two countries could not solve the dispute bilaterally. As a result, the dispute was brought up to the International Court of Justice.

In this pulp mill dispute, it is clearly seen that water, used for commercial resources such as fishing industry, agriculture, tourism, and transportation can cause bitter and long-running disputes. It is generally perceived that water disputes emerge more often in water-based industries, especially when crippled by water shortages and water pollution.

Possible collaboration, management, and sustainability

Resource-based conflicts can be addressed through mutual understanding, awareness and collaboration between individuals, local communities, and nations. Water disputes are no different. At an individual level, people need to be educated to understand the value and importance of water. Awareness-raising campaigns are needed where water is limited and must focus on increasing understanding of the problems associated with water shortages. Once people develop more social awareness, they will seek to use water sensitively and save it as much as they can.

Water conflicts can be avoided when people have adequate water for their daily consumption and utilize it wisely and sustainably by being considerate of others and future generations. At a community level, collaboration among individuals is needed to take care of water resources for long-term use. The culture of sharing should also be embedded in each community to understand that water is a natural resource that does not exclusively belong to one particular group or individual.

At the national level, governments should ensure that effective water assessment and management is practiced especially when building factories or dams along waterways. Governments should consult people on the ground on any project that may affect water resources and people's livelihoods. Environment assessments need to be undertaken before any project is approved. When this is done, people will understand what will be going on and the effects of these proposed projects when implemented. In this way, water disputes can be minimized.

At the international level where countries are bordered by waterways, water management from all sides is very important in maintaining sustainability of water consumption. Respect for everybody's right to water is another essential element to prevent possible water disputes. Countries should work hand in hand in protecting their water resources by creating a joint committee to monitor and regulate all projects and activities along the watercourses. Free flow of information from all sides and transparency also play a key role in managing water sustainably.

In conclusion, I believe water disputes can be avoided and solved by mutual understanding, awareness, and collaboration between all parties involved.

Mr Munty Khon is from Cambodia and is part of the student batch for SY2010-2011 and one of the Asia Leaders Program (ALP) scholars, pursuing his MA degree at the University for Peace. ALP is a dual campus masters degree project, a shared initiative between The Nippon Foundation, University for Peace, and the Ateneo de Manila University. This is his reflection paper for the lecture that Pedro Walpole gave on Practices of Conflict Management in Asia focusing on natural resources and resource use, conflict, and management last 18 to 20 April 2011.