Date of Award

1-1-2013

Language

English

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School/Department

Department of Geography and Planning

Content Description

1 online resource (iv, 62 pages) : color illustrations, color maps.

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

John Pipkin

Committee Members

Christopher Smith, David Lewis

Keywords

Water-supply, Water resources development, Water conservation

Subject Categories

Geography

Abstract

The global supply of freshwater depends on spatial and temporal factors. Because of its nature, there are parts of the world where sufficient amounts are simply not available. With the onset of global climate change and unpredictable politics in some areas, what is referred to as the "global water crisis" will become a cause of unrest throughout the world. Using Libya as an extreme case, this thesis seeks to display the immensely complicated nature of water provision and suggests that the unlikelihood of violent conflict predicted by certain authors, such as Aaron Wolf, needs to be reconsidered. Their faith in the political process is too idealistic. Having no substantial bodies of water and being situated on the Mediterranean Sea, Libya has been left with few freshwater options. Its two main methods for meeting the demand for freshwater are the Great Man-made River Project (GMRP) and desalination plants. Both are multi-faceted and come with a plethora of issues. The complicated nature of these solutions leaves the nation vulnerable to attack and have already been the cause of civil unrest within the country. If violence has already occurred over resources that are not essential to survival, such as oil, it is very likely that violence over water will occur. These problems are a sign of what can be expected in other parts of the world as the global water crisis becomes worse.

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