Water : the final resource : how the politics of water will impact on the world / by William Houston & Robin Griffiths.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Houston, Bill, 1928- author.

Griffiths, Robin, 1942- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Water resources development.

Water resources development--Environmental aspects.

Water-supply--Environmental aspects.

Water-supply.

Water resources development--Political aspects.

Water-supply--Political aspects.

Social prediction.

Water-supply--Economic aspects.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (182 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Hampshire : Harriman House Limited, 2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

William Houston and Robin Griffiths - the co-authors of Future Storm who in 2006 predicted the present political, economic, commodity and climatic turmoil - have turned their attention to one of the biggest challenges being faced across the globe today: Water.Up to the turn of the century the world's population had grown with water abundant in most developing countries.Then everything changed.Ocean oscillations (which affect the weather patterns) have altered, leading to droughts in areas that were expecting rain, and flooding for those previously anticipating arid conditions. The result is that around a fifth of the world's population will receive much less rainthan expected.What effect will this have?- A third of arable land going out of production, reducing yields and increasing prices.- A rise in seismic activity leading to more tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, which in turn cause climatic shifts.- A large increase in refugees forced to seek shelter in other countries.- Potential conflicts over water.- An immediate need to reduce the amount of water currently allowed to run to waste.- An urgent need to develop and invest in recycling, desalination and intelligent irrigation and new fuels, such as hydrogen and cold fusion.The authors address all of these issues and propose solutions to the problems we are about to face, or are already grappling with.This book sets out the power of water to enrich or destroy the lives of millions.

Contents:

Cover

Water

Contents

About the Authors

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1 The Cycles of Climate and Water

Summary

The influence of the sun

Long-term oscillations of the oceans

Longer term climatic cycle

The crustal cycle

2 Water Circulation and Conservation

Controlling, preserving and using water

Distributing and husbanding water

Regenerating water

3 The Coming Food Deficit

Vulnerability of crops

Major crops

4 People and Climatic Shifts

Five Hundred Year Cycle

Hundred Year Cycle

5 The Coming Wave of Refugees

Political spite

Mass migrations

Economic migration

Displacement diseases

Present attitudes to refugees

An approach towards a solutionAny solution to the refugee problem for the West has to beAn approach towards a solution

Dealing with the refugee problem

6 Prospects for Conflicts over Water andthe Basis for Peace in the Middle East

The needs of water

Unemployment

Seven scenarios for the region

7 Potential for Conflicts over Water in theEast

Drought Rating

Water deficient countries

Water surplus countries

Alternative scenarios

8 Water and Technology

Desalinisation

9 Blue Gold

Afterword

1. Water

2. Religious terrorism

3. Credit crunch

Individuals

Industry and commerce

State

Stages of required action

Index.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed June 6, 2015).

ISBN:

1-906659-91-5