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Article

7 Oct 2014

Author:
Oliver Balch, Guardian Sustainable Business (UK)

Risk of increasing conflicts over water “demands that business look beyond its own four walls”, argues journalist

"Water wars: a new reality for business and governments", 6 Oct 2014

…Violent tensions over water are certainly nothing new, but they are on the rise…“…[V]iolence related to water is growing, not shrinking”, says Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute…The private sector is far from a silent bystander in these water-related conflagrations. In a number of…cases, corporate activities have proved the match that lights the wick…But companies don’t need to be the protagonists of conflict to find themselves embroiled in water-related tensions. Multinational firms are especially vulnerable, notes James Allan, associate director for environment and climate change at Maplecroft. “Water is a local issue but the end product isn’t being used or enjoyed locally, so there’s a real tension there between international business and local users”, he states…The more efficiently fixed and limited water resources are managed, the higher the chance of averting future conflict…[T]he multiple demands on local water resources demand that business look beyond its own four walls…[Also refers to Coca-Cola, UPM]