Water shortages coming, Wars and Financial impact

MSNBC had an AP article on the coming risk of water shortages causing wars.

US intel: Water a cause for war in coming decades

'Water as a weapon or to further terrorist objectives ... more likely beyond 10 years,' says report released on World Water Day

Image: Israeli soldier stands next to a manmade pool containing water from a spring located near Ramallah
Baz Ratner /  Reuters
An Israeli soldier stands next to a manmade pool containing water from a spring located near the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh on March 19. Jewish settlers have seized dozens of natural springs in the occupied West Bank, barring Palestinians or limiting their access to scarce water sources, a United Nations report said this week. In 2009 the spring was taken over by settlers from Halamish, forcing villagers to obtain their irrigation water from other sources, the report and residents said.
By MATTHEW LEE
updated 3/22/2012 2:18:08 PM ET

Drought, floods and a lack of fresh water may cause significant global instability and conflict in the coming decades, as developing countries scramble to meet demand from exploding populations while dealing with the effects of climate change, U.S. intelligence agencies said in a report released on World Water Day.

An assessment reflecting the joint judgment of federal intelligence agencies says the risk of water issues causing wars in the next 10 years is minimal even as they create tensions within and between states and threaten to disrupt national and global food markets. But beyond 2022, it says the use of water as a weapon of war or a tool of terrorism will become more likely, particularly in South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

Fidelity Investments has a video on World's Water with 16,845 views in one month.

If you don't think about water issues in your data center design and operations you are not alone, but the people who think about sustainability and green data centers know water will become scarcer and more expensive.