Brazil on Verge of Violent Regional Wars Over Water Rights – a Sign of Global Trends
By Jonathan Benson | Natural News
(NaturalNews) Persistent drought conditions that simply won’t relent, according to new reports, have sparked something of a water war in Brazil, which oddly enough has more water resources than any other country in the world.
The two largest cities in the South American powerhouse, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, are currently fighting over rights to a water source that sits between them. Rio de Janeiro has long relied on the Jaguari reservoir to supply its own citizens, but now Sao Paulo wants in on the action.
Sao Paulo is apparently running out of water due to poor planning and mismanagement, but the Jaguari reservoir is currently at its lowest level ever, which is why Rio wants to protect it. Officials from the two cities recently met in Brasilia for a mediation session meant to solve the crisis.
But a solution has yet to be reached, as Sao Paulo’s tapping into the Jaguari would threaten to create water shortages in Rio, leaving both cities at a loss. Rio is currently surviving the ongoing drought, but this could change if Sao Paulo gains access to its main water source.
“It’s unusual in that it’s two very large cities facing what could be a new, permanent conflict over the allocation of water,” stated Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California, to Bloomberg about the crisis.
“It’s a wake-up call that even places we think of as water-rich have to learn to do a better job of managing what’s ultimately a scarce resource. Nature doesn’t always cooperate with us.”
Video: Drought in Brazil – Jaguari Reservoir shrinking
