WaterPower - Lesson 4: River Conflicts Map

Bridging the Watershed Educational Resource

River Use Conflicts Map

Each of the short readings that follow describes a different kind of conflict related to use of rivers. These five types of conflict are not the only kinds possible, but they represent most of the conflicts in the world today. Read the list of the five types of conflicts on the “River Conflicts that Result from Human Impact” chart, then read the five descriptions and decide which modern conflict falls into which category. Using the chart, explain the ways each river’s conflicts fall into each of the categories.

Click on each of the five colored regions of the map to display details about their river use conflicts.

The Nile River, located in northeast Africa and running north to the Mediterranean, is one of the world’s oldest and most important examples of human use of waterpower. Egyptians have been using the Nile as a source of power, irrigation, transportation, and drinking water for more than five thousand years. Recently, however, many of the countries that are paths for or sources of the Nile’s water have been demanding greater access to it than they are presently allowed. Ethiopia and Kenya in particular want to use Nile-bound water to irrigate their fields and are also considering building dams to provide hydroelectric power. Egypt’s government has refused to discuss the issue with its neighbors; one Egyptian official even went so far as to say that Kenya’s plans, if pursued, would amount to an act of war.

Map of Caura River in Venezuela

Venezuela has many rivers and has exploited several of them for the generation of electricity and agricultural uses. One of its rivers, the Caura, is an exception in that it is not going to be used for any purpose. The Venezuelan government has decided to leave the Caura, and the region through which it flows, unexploited. The Caura River Basin measures approximately 45,000 square miles and hosts almost 500 species of tropical birds, several hundred fish species, and 2,700 types of plants. The government, utility companies, indigenous peoples, and international environmental organizations all agree that there is no need to use the Caura for any purpose at this time, and that there is substantial benefit in leaving it untouched.

China is in the midst of a terrible long-term water crisis. A combination of population growth, Map of Yellow, Haui, Hai and Yangtzee Rivers in China

Map of Yellow, Haui, Hai and Yangtzee Rivers in China

increased per-capita consumption, inefficient agricultural practices, and poor decision-making concerning the locations of industries have created the crisis, and none of the factors is easily corrected. One of the most severely hit regions is in the dry northeast of the country, where the Yellow, Haui, and Hai Rivers don’t provide enough water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses. The government plans to address this problem by cutting three 800- mile long channels from the Yangtze River in the south and diverting much of its water north to the Yellow, Haui, and Hai Rivers. Chinese and international environmental organizations fear that the Yangtze cannot provide enough water to the north-east and still satisfy those who have come to rely on it in the south. They also fear that the channels will have detrimental effects on the regions through which they are cut.

Map of Colorado River in California and surrounding states

In August of 2003, a new dam was completed in the Elfin Forest of California, creating a reservoir of freshwater for communities near San Diego. The reservoir, which will use water from the Colorado River, is not intended to be a daily source of water but is to be used in emergencies such as earthquakes or severe droughts. The dam was built to survive an earthquake up to 7.2 on the Richter scale, and the reservoir it protects holds enough water for 50,000 homes for one year.

In November of 2003, the city of Richwood, West Virginia experienced severe flooding. Map of Cherry River in West Virginia

Map of Cherry River in West Virginia

As a result, the mayor of Richwood supported a petition drive that encouraged the construction of a flood-control dam on the Cherry River. Many West Virginians opposed the idea on the grounds that it would be expensive and destructive to the environment and that the use of dams to control floods is an old, ineffective idea. Others agreed that something needs to be done to limit the damage done by flooding, but they suggest other methods would be more effective.

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