Issues:
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MAIN HIGHLIGHT
Water Insecurities: The Singapore Experience
Water is essential for socioeconomic development and for maintaining healthy ecosystems. However, pressure on water resources has intensified due to growing populations and increasing development, leading to tensions between users and posing a non-traditional security threat. The fact that there is no substitute for water further complicates the situation. It is therefore unsurprising that scholars have increasingly identified freshwater scarcity as a potential source of conflict in the 21st century and beyond.
The potential linkages between water scarcity and conflict are most pronounced in arid regions such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). According to the Water Stress Index 2011, all 16 nations suffering extreme water stress hail from the MENA region. MENA is thus not only the world’s most water-stressed region but also one of the most politically volatile. Growing water scarcity is likely to worsen the already dire socioeconomic and political conditions of the region, creating further human insecurities. Judicious management of water resources therefore is key to maintaining stability in an increasingly thirsty world.
Singapore is well-positioned to offer an example in this regard. The city state has long relied on Malaysia for approximately 40 per cent of its freshwater needs under two water agreements signed in 1961 (expired in 2011) and 1962 (expires in 2062) respectively. These two agreements are regarded as fundamental to Singapore’s existence; so much so that the city state is apparently prepared to go to war if Malaysia ever dishonours them.
Despite this, the general mood following the expiration of the 1961 treaty on 31 August 2011 is one of optimism rather than insecurity. This optimism is due to Singapore’s growing confidence in its technical capability to meet its freshwater needs through rain water capture, water recycling and desalinisation. Together these sources satisfy around 70 per cent of Singapore’s water needs. Besides these supply-side initiatives, demand for water is also contained through various water conservation and efficient-use initiatives which allow Singapore to reduce its domestic water consumption from 172 litres per capita per day in 1995 to 154 litres today. Water-stressed countries may well learn from Singapore and turn weakness into strategic strengths.
Additional Info:
- ‘Muhyiddin: Singapore Threatened War if Not Given Water’, Malaysia Today, 20 August 2009.
- ‘Maplecroft Index Identifies Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as World’s Most Water Stressed Countries’, Maplecroft, 25 May 2011.
- Tortajada, Cecilia and Kimberly Pobre, ‘The Singapore-Malaysia Water Relationship: An Analysis of the Media Perspectives’, Hydrological Sciences Journal, 4 July 2011.
- Teh, Shi Ning, ‘Water Self-sufficiency a Strategic Priority: PM Lee’, The Business Times, 6 July 2011.
- Gleick, Peter H., 1993, ‘Water and Conflict: Fresh Water Resource and International Security’, International Security, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 79–112.
- Gleick, Peter H., 2008, ‘Water Conflict Chronology’, Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security.
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INTERNAL AND CROSS-BORDER CONFLICT
News & Commentaries
- ‘Philippines: Concern over Stalled Mindanao Peace Talks’, IRIN, 6 September 2011.
- ‘Analysis: Outsourcing Asia’s Refugees’, IRIN, 12 September 2011.
- ‘Sri Lanka: Pressure Mounts on Accountability Process’, IRIN, 14 September 2011.
- Adamrah, Mustaqim, ‘ASEAN, UN to Take on World Conflicts’, The Jakarta Post, 21 September 2011.
- Brady, Brendan and Sok Phnom, ‘Why Some Khmer Rouge Suspects May Never Face Trial’, Time, 22 September 2011.
- Ferguson, Tim, ‘Human Rights and Indonesia’s Choices’, Forbes, 27 September 2011.
- Horn, Robert, ‘The Real Victims in Southern Thailand’s Insurgency’, Time, 28 September 2011.
- Abbas, Hafid, ‘A Lesson Learned from the Aceh Peace Process’, The Jakarta Post, 3 October 2011.
- Myers, Steven Lee, ‘Detecting a Thaw in Myanmar, U.S. Aims to Encourage Change’, The New York Times, 6 October 2011.
- Wong, Gillian, ‘China Urges Unification with Rival Taiwan’, Time, 9 October 2011.
- ‘Breakthrough Needed on S. China Sea Talks: ASEAN’, The Jakarta Post, 10 October 2011.
Selected Publications
This NTS Alert discusses how ASEAN can contribute to preserving regional security amid heightened expectations for it to play a greater role in security governance. It uses the Thai-Cambodian border dispute as a case to analyse ASEAN’s approach to conflict management and resolution. It notes that the powerful domestic socio-political forces and relationships between member states are crucial factors that decide the effectiveness of ASEAN in managing conflicts, in addition to the regional preference for non-interference.
This NTS Alert examines the implications of new institutional developments on security governance, such as the establishment of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus). It argues that the new forums provide an opportunity for ASEAN to evolve its regional security framework towards a more coherent architecture.
Despite tensions between traditional understandings of sovereignty and the need for states to exercise the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) in humanitarian crises, this paper argues that ASEAN has become more receptive to the RtoP through a subtle realignment of non-interference and the RtoP principle. Regional states are adopting a more accommodative understanding of non-interference and accepting a localised variant of RtoP which permits restrained but necessary external responses to major humanitarian crises.
Events & Announcements
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MIGRATION
News & Commentaries
- ‘Russia’s Population Shrinks by 87,500 in 2011’, Indian Express, 19 August 2011.
- Hauslohner, Abigail, ‘The Disinvited: The New Libya’s New Racism’, Time, 31 August 2011.
- ‘Wikileaks and Migrant Workers’, Migrant Rights, 1 September 2011.
- Fong, Tanya, ‘Without Migration of Some Magnitude, Singapore’s Population Will Decline, Says IPS’, Today, 15 September 2011.
- Monterona, John Leonard, ‘OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) Group Questions PH Govt. Intention to Lift OFWs Ban in Iraq’, Migrant Rights, 20 September 2011.
- Mosher, Steven W., ‘China’s One-child Policy Toll Reaches 400 Million’, Population Research Institute, 21 September 2011.
- ‘The Loneliness of the Lone, Distant Urban Refugee’, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 22 September 2011.
- ‘Statelessness: UNHCR Hails New Support, Urges More Action on Treaties’, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 23 September 2011.
- Kolawole, Emi, ‘Lawmakers Hear Testimony on Immigration as Study Finds Indians May Wait 70 Years for Green Cards’, The Washington Post, 6 October 2011.
Selected Publications
This briefing, which studied the outcome of the British asylum system over the period 1997–2010, observed that the UK asylum system’s cost to the taxpayer, including the cost of legal aid and the cost of the courts involved, was close to £10 billion or nearly £2.3 million a day over the said period. It further noted that an asylum seeker who sets foot on British soil has a 77 per cent chance of staying – whatever the merits of his/her case.
This paper analyses the role of welfare systems in shaping migration patterns in Central and Eastern Europe over the transition process and after EU accession. It argues that states have played a crucial role in affecting migration by creating and widening opportunities for potential and actual migrants through welfare system policies.
According to the study, backlogs in the American system for both family-sponsored and employment-based immigration have created long waiting times for green card applications. For example, an Indian immigrant classified under the most common skilled employment based category, called the 3rd preference or EB-3, will have to potentially wait 70 years to receive a green card. The study concluded that failure by policymakers to address this issue would lead to much hardship for the immigrants and weaken the competitiveness of US companies.
Events & Announcements
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TRANSNATIONAL CRIME
News & Commentaries
- Nair, P.M., ‘The Gameplan: Tackling Trafficking and Maoists’, IBNLive, 22 September 2011.
- ‘Specialised Crime-busters’, New Straits Times, 23 September 2011.
- ‘Intellectual Property Crime’, Voice of America, 26 September 2011.
- ‘Australia Targets Flourishing Environmental Crime’, ABC Radio Australia, 26 September 2011.
- ‘Cooks Set Up Transnational Crime Unit’, Radio New Zealand International, 27 September 2011.
- ‘Illegal Kidney Trade Claim Unfounded, Says Doctor’, New Straits Times, 28 September 2011.
- Peppin, Joan, ‘Online Gambling Crackdown in Asia’, Casino Advisor, 29 September 2011.
- Malig, Jojo, ‘Philippine “Sex Tourism” Bared on Leaked US Cable’, ABS-CBN, 8 October 2011.
Selected Publications
With the objective of reducing demand in industries susceptible to human trafficking practices, this report analyses information on demand for prostitution and cheap labour from Europe and Eurasia, and includes a variety of good practices in demand reduction. Policymakers and practitioners can integrate this knowledge of good practices into anti-trafficking policies and measures.
Despite the growth of human rights protection following the 19th and 20th century experiences of transatlantic and white slavery, human trafficking persists. The article suggests that a cross-analysis of the economic incentives and structures of the transatlantic slave trade, white slavery and contemporary human trafficking can lead to more effective anti-human trafficking measures.
Events & Announcements
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WATER SECURITY
News & Commentaries
- Gleick, Peter, ‘What Do You Know? Water Conservation and Efficiency Actually Works’, Circle of Blue, 28 June 2011.
- Braun, David, ‘Can the Nile River Slake All Thirsts?’, National Geographic, 31 August 2011.
- ‘“Plastic Bottle” Solution for Arsenic-contaminated Water Threatening 100 Million People’, ScienceDaily, 1 September 2011.
- Nkinsi, Anselme, ‘No Water, No Management, No Power’, IPS, 21 September 2011.
- Peang-Meth, A. Gaffar, ‘Mekong Dams Affect 300 Million’, Guampdn.com, 21 September 2011.
- Workman, James, ‘My Local Wants vs. Their Global Needs: UN Water Forum Hints at Tensions of Competing Agendas’, Circle of Blue, 23 September 2011.
- ‘Major River Basins Have Enough Water to Sustainably Double Food Production in the Coming Decades’, ScienceDaily, 25 September 2011.
- Udasin, Sharon, ‘Israeli, Palestinian Experts Meet over Water Agreements’, The Jerusalem Post, 26 September 2011.
- Schneider, Keith, ‘Building China’s 21st-century Megacity: Shanghai’s Experiment with Water and Nature’, Circle of Blue, 30 September 2011.
Selected Publications
Seventy per cent of the world’s population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050. As such, issues such as water scarcity, decreasing water quality and water pollution, water overuse and associated salt-water intrusion combine with infrastructural, institutional and social problems to pose serious threats to urban water security. In light of these, the report calls for an emphasis on sustainability and urban water management to integrate solutions such as awareness raising exercises to reduce consumption, law enforcement and controls, reusing and recycling of storm- and wastewater, corporate water stewardship, economic and fiscal incentives and instruments, cost recovery, integrated river basin management, payment for environmental services, and climate change adaptation.
Bioenergy production and use have both positive and negative environmental and socioeconomic consequences, including those pertaining to water. This report however argues that as a rapidly growing sector, bioenergy can serve as a high-profile leverage point to raise awareness of water-related issues and to stimulate the implementation of best management practices in areas where this might otherwise not occur. Bioenergy also offers options for synergy with other sectors, which need to be further explored.
This report documents trends in population and water deliveries for 100 cities and for water agencies in the US and Mexico that use water from the Colorado River Basin. The report observes that although total population in these areas grew by more than 10 million between 1990 and 2008, water use per person dropped by around 20 per cent over the same period (around 1 per cent per year) due to increased water efficiency and conservation.
Events & Announcements
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