3-1 Discussion: Water Wars
The dispute that exists between Turkey and Armenia is the one I've chosen to concentrate on. The
Turkish-Armenian example shows how two co-riparians can put aside their differences, work together
on their shared interests, and properly exchange trans-border waters. Armenia and Turkey have been
sharing water from the Arpacay River, which marks their border, despite their lack of formal diplomatic
ties. Despite tense relations throughout the 1990s, Turkey and Armenia have continued to uphold
historic agreements made before the collapse of the USSR and have divided the Arpacay River equally to
this day (Turkey-Armenia: Water cooperation despite tensions, n.d.). The Arpacay (or Akhourian) River,
which defines Armenia's border with Turkey, joins the Kars River, which originates in Turkey, and the
Ahuryan River, which originates in Armenia. The ongoing Armenian genocide, which Turkey officially
condemns, the growing animosity between co-riparians, and the 1993-onset Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The two neighbors' relationships have improved over the past few
years. Given the impasse between Armenia and Turkey, one might anticipate that disagreements over
water distribution will continue to exist between the two countries. The two countries have been able to
continue bilateral cooperation over the Arpacay River despite the lack of official ties between them by
building on prior agreements made before the collapse of the USSR (Turkey-Armenia: Water
cooperation despite tensions, n.d.). In order to manage the Arpacay River, the USSR and Turkey created
the "Protocol on the Beneficial Uses of Boundary Water" (also known as the Kars protocol) in 1927. The
USSR and Turkey continued to reach agreements regarding the River throughout the Cold War. These
agreements reflected Turkey's foreign strategy of forging institutional relationships with "enemy camp"
neighbors. In 1964, the nations decided to work together to construct the Arpacay dam on the
waterway. A joint commission will be established to supervise the infrastructure, and there are also
rules for the fair distribution of water in this treaty (Turkey-Armenia: Water cooperation despite
tensions, n.d.).
I firmly believe that the already rising human population will directly affect the limited supply of water
we currently have. Only 0.24 percent of the world's water is considered to be drinkable, despite the fact
that water fills 73% of the planet. Because of this, it is essential to conserve and save the water we use
so that everyone can obtain clean drinking water (Myers, N., & Spoolman, S., 2014). Due to leaks, abuse,
and contamination by businesses and sewage treatment facilities, water is being wastefully wasted. As
the number of people on earth rises, we will need even more water. In some parts of the globe, we are
already fighting to provide enough fresh water for drinking to the current population. As the world's
population expands, this scarcity will only get worse. In addition to limiting the supply of fresh drinking
water, this could also lead to the failure of sewage systems which raises people's chances of contracting
diseases like cholera, e. coli, and salmonellosis (Myers, N., & Spoolman, S., 2014). Historically,
developing countries have been more impacted than developed ones due to their inability to supply
drinkable water and clean up harmful contaminants from waterways that could sicken people.
Additionally, rare water will be more expensive, making it possible for developing countries that require
water to be unable to obtain it. This could result in disputes over marine resources and needless deaths
from dehydration and water-borne illnesses (Myers, N., & Spoolman, S., 2014).
References:
Myers, N., & Spoolman, S. (2014). Environmental Issues and Solutions: A Modular Approach. Cengage
Limited. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781305848320
