Moscow, May 30. INTERFAX.RU – A roundtable discussion on “The Water Problem: A Challenge to Global and Regional Security” was held as part of the First International Security Forum in Moscow. Our political observer, Vyacheslav Terekhov, reports.

The planet is facing water bankruptcy.

Corr.: Experts from Russia, Uzbekistan, Mali, and Egypt discussed key aspects of water resources and their impact on economic and international security. Water shortages in Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, as well as Russian developments in water purification, were particularly prominent.

According to one of the roundtable participants, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Irina Abramova, the importance of the issue under discussion is demonstrated by the fact that droughts on Earth are becoming increasingly prolonged, and by 2050, approximately 75% of the planet’s population will suffer from them. This leads to the conclusion that technological solutions in the field of water are directly linked to increased agricultural productivity, the sustainability of food systems, and, of course, the quality of life.

This topic has been raised repeatedly at numerous international forums, including the UN. Moreover, a UN Special Report characterizes the structural imbalance between water demand and available resources as “water bankruptcy.”

However, according to Moscow State University professor Sergei Bobylev, who spoke at the roundtable and has chaired numerous expert groups on UN programs, no international projects, including those of the UN, addressing water issues are being implemented. This is despite the fact that “the water problem is catastrophic for humanity, and the water crisis is more real and even more dangerous than the climate crisis, which has been the subject of so much discussion at various political levels recently.” According to Bobylev, approximately 3 billion people currently lack access to safe water.

According to even the most pessimistic forecasts, the water shortage will lead to the emergence of tens of millions of environmental refugees, the professor notes.

During the discussion of the problem of water scarcity, speakers emphasized that the key to solving this problem lies in the economic sphere, especially considering the fact that 70% of water is consumed by agriculture.

Experience from many countries around the world, Bobylev continued, has shown that up to 50% of used water is wasted. “Therefore, a completely trivial question arises: how much water is needed, at least to produce food, and how is water consumed along the entire journey to the consumer? The answer to this question determines the amount of investment needed in developing water infrastructure and technology. At the same time, we must also consider the level of water use in various industries and even for tourism development.” He is convinced that overcoming the global water crisis is impossible without international cooperation.

How much does water cost?

Stanislav Zhukov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Deputy Director of the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations, devoted his speech to the economic component of the water shortage problem.

Zhukov: My view on this issue is quite radical. I believe it’s worth considering, at least at the scientific level, what water is. Not the services or the system associated with water, but water itself. This is especially true in the context of potential international water exchange and trade. Water tariffs, even in countries where they exist, don’t ensure its reproducibility as a commodity and a valued economic resource. Low water tariffs lead to its misuse—or, more accurately, to its squandering.

Why is all this happening? Because water is still perceived as some kind of natural or divinely given product. And as a common good, it essentially has no price. In any case, the question of what price water should have is barely discussed. Only in the last three years have countries around the world begun to consider the question of how much water should cost and how water markets should be structured.

If we take a standard market situation, we’ll see that when a product becomes scarce, how does the market react? It reacts simply: the price rises, which reduces the availability of that product, and equilibrium is restored.

This doesn’t happen with water, and rural and urban entrepreneurs and state water authorities receive no feedback from water use. Water has no price, and market participants receive no meaningful signals that water is becoming scarce or insufficient.

While efforts and programs to modernize water structures, canals, and irrigation systems are important, they are not enough. Water must have a price.

Corr.: Speakers focused on the water issue in Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, where water already has a significant impact on political and economic life. Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Director of the Institute for African Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences Irina Abramova addressed this topic, specifically the water issue in African countries. She also focused on the role of Russian technologies in addressing water issues, particularly in Africa.

Russian technologies provide access to clean water

Abramova: Africa is a continent where water issues are quite acute. More than 400 million people lack access to clean water in their homes. The water issue carries enormous potential for conflict at the level of distribution and consumption. The conflict between Ethiopia and Egypt over dam construction is well-known ( the conflict centered on control of the Nile River and the construction of a giant dam – IF ). All this leads to an escalation of the political situation in the region.

The Academy of Sciences is implementing an interesting project called “Clean Water.” It not only proposes an innovative technology but also a strategy for its implementation in countries of the Global South, including Africa. The new technology requires no chemicals and generates no waste.

To operate this system, only electricity is required, and not in very large quantities. It can be supplied by solar panels, which is especially relevant for Africa. This process infuses the water with nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and other reactive species, providing access to pure water. And since the technology is reagent-free, these systems can be used not only in coastal countries but also in inland areas.

Fields irrigated with this water accelerate plant growth and increase crop yields. In livestock farming, when animals drink this water, their weight increases, their biological control system improves, and mortality rates decrease. This innovation can also be applied in fisheries and poultry farms.

Russian technologies have already moved from experimental to industrial prototypes, and we are interested in their dissemination in countries friendly to Russia, primarily in Africa.

Intersection of practical interests

Corr.: Bella Krasnoyarova, Chief Researcher at the Institute of Water and Environmental Problems of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, discussed the potential for conflict in her speech. She believes this issue is becoming one of the key challenges of the 21st century, and transboundary water resource management issues are increasingly acquiring geopolitical significance.

She paid special attention to the problem of the Irtysh and Ural basins, where practical interests intersect with Kazakhstan and where the issue of water allocation in relation to these rivers has still not been resolved.

Brahim Traoré, Director of the Institute of Applied Sciences in Mali, also addressed the intersection of interests. He discussed, in particular, the threats to the Niger and Falémé rivers, which flow through Guinea, Mali, and Senegal. Growing industrialization and artisanal gold mining in West African countries are leading to water pollution from industrial waste. According to the speaker, this problem can only be solved through international cooperation.

The problem of Central Asia is the active melting of glaciers

Corr.: Ilkhom Juraev, a representative of the Ministry of Water Resources of Uzbekistan, spoke at the roundtable. He noted that climate change, glacier retreat, and population growth are actively contributing to water shortages.

Zhuraev: The Central Asian region is no exception. Rapidly rising temperatures are accelerating the melting of glaciers in the Tien Shan, Pamir, and Hindu Kush. It is estimated that by the middle of this century, Central Asia could lose more than half of its glaciers. By 2050, runoff could decrease by up to 5% in the Syr Darya basin and up to 15% in the Amu Darya basin. Given the projected population growth in the region to 90 million, water shortages are projected to reach up to 30%.

In Uzbekistan, water shortages could reach 15 billion cubic meters per year by 2030. With rapid economic development, water shortages are becoming a critical security issue for our country.

Since the agricultural sector is crucial in Uzbekistan, it threatens both food security and economic stability. Given this, the country is focusing on implementing water-saving technologies, which significantly save water while simultaneously increasing crop yields. Over the past five years, water-saving technologies have been implemented on 2.6 million hectares, representing over 60% of the total irrigated land area, saving up to 2 billion cubic meters of water annually. Our goal is to implement water-saving technologies on all irrigated lands in the country.

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