V.+Access

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__** Access and Violence **__

=Introduction (by Jackie F.)= “1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation. 1.8m people die every year from diarrhea diseases every year, including 90% of children under the age of 5.” Water Supply and Sanitation(1).

Access to clean drinking water has become unbearable. In many third world countries, water restrictions have been strictly enforced. This means how much clean water a family can get a day, or if they can get it at all. The tension from all of this has lead to many wars, crimes, and deaths.

= = = = = = =Violence - Water Riots (by Josh H., Matt O., Ashley G., and Maricia M.)= see also Water Conflicts

[[image:08kenya_600.jpg width="268" height="149" align="left" link="GeoH2O"]]
Water is it all around us, right? Or are we slowly running out?

Estimates vary from 70 to 75 percent of the Earth is covered by water, how much of it is actually usable without a lot of cost? When people think of the water that covers the Earth the oceans and major lakes come to mind but there are a lot of other things to such as the water cycle or the soil that is moist, but what happens when the water runs out. Many people can not do much and can’t fight for it others rise up in riots and join the ragging war for water.

A prime example of how and why the se water riots occur actually took place happened in Hargeisa (@http://www.somalilandglobe.com/596/mob-runs-riot-as-part-of-hargeisa-runs-out-of-water/), Somaliland where the police had to use live rounds because the riots had gotten out of control because of the water shortages. With the authorities showing lack of law enforcement and showing a failure to deal with the lack of water the city eventually went into a water crisis and a riot was believed to be the only solution. The riot led to the roads being blocked from the major towns being blocked with boulders and burning tires. With the riot breaking out the police had to get law brought back into the city so the law enforcement swarmed the area with heavy weaponry. The rioters were unarmed verses the cops using live ammunition. But even though it was like that there were still no reported causalities. With this riot being reported it made it the 4th riot that occurred in one week. The water infrastructure is outdated and crumbling, which means it is unable to keep up with the growing city. Government officials were siphoning off all the money generated from the Water Agency. The latest public unrest was at a rime of the president Royal and he was visiting the eastern regions of the country as part of his election. He pledged to his voters that he will dig more water wells to provide for the people, but all that was pledged before the country had reached self-sufficiency in the water supply. Now even after the riot there was no major change in water supply and the riot had kind of failed.

The government has tried to fix things but money is still a part of the world. In many cases of riots the demand of something is greatly needed, such as farmers. When a mismanagement of water is distributed improperly it can cause the uprising of farmers. An event like this happened awhile back in 2000 on Jan 15. There were three farmers killed in a small village Called Falla it was 28 meters from Jamnager town, (@http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/conflicts/Jamnagar.htm) When these three farmers died they weren’t alone in their fight, there were over half a thousand others to help them out. The men and woman were mad because of the authorities had made their own decision to tap a water source that in the farmers case was their main crop supply. The government as a result is trying to bore wells about 550 meters deep to provide water for its thirsty town folk. The farmers are Falla village are all too justified in protesting. After two months if the water in the dam is exhausted even Falla may face a severe water crisis. For the villages here there is no other source of drinking water for the next six months (words from the reporter from the link listed above). Now and over time the villagers are being smart to realize any rain water the get to reuse on their crops or as drinking water. The government is trying to help by creating dams and more wells.

 A reporter took sight and took the story as it happened. (Stephen M. Hackett) Malaysian police fired tear gas and water cannon on Sunday to disperse thousands of people at an opposition-backed rally against the federal government’s involvement in a dispute over drinking water.

A federal police official said 48 people were arrested and were being investigated for illegal assembly. He said police used force because the protesters, numbering about 4,000, had refused to disperse.

Now think about it...What would the world be without water? More chaos and riots as listed. Two or many stories for these little riots that are all part of a war that man kind waged on themselves. The cause is greed the cure is ourselves. Help do your part by visiting @http://www.globalwater.org/?gclid=CIbp4MnH3qUCFcFk7Aodp2-92Q and help stop a war against mankind.

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References: 1.N/a.(April 27 2009)"Mob runs riot" retrieved on November 24 from (http://www.somalilandglobe.com/596/mob-runs-riot-as-part-of-hargeisa-runs-out-of-water/) 2.Centre for science and environment.(January 15 2000) "conflicts" retreived of Dec 1 2010 from (http://www.somalilandglobe.com/596/mob-runs-riot-as-part-of-hargeisa-runs-out-of-water/) 3.Kueppur Ta(2003-2009)"Global waters" retrieved on Dec 8 2010 from @http://www.globalwater.org/?gclid=CIbp4MnH3qUCFcFk7Aodp2-92Q

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