554
droughts, heat waves or other variation in weather patterns. For example, the Syrian
Civil War has been linked in part to a multiyear drought and related crop failures
that escalated underlying but already existing tensions into a civil war.
While impacts to food, energy, and water systems can be significant, challenges to
these integrated systems can also be the catalyst to bring people together. While the
rhetoric of conflict may be strong, reality can also be different, particularly in the case
of water. In 1965, Elinor Ostrom coined the term “common pool resources” as those
that have a “high level of interdependency with other individual interests” within the
common pool that people would come together to protect (Ostrom 1965) (see also
Ostrom and Hess 2007). More recently, Dr. Aaron Wolf and colleagues have systematically analyzed the rhetoric of “water wars” and found that water is far more often
used as a catalyst for cooperation than actual war (Wolf 2007).
Such findings may be critical in navigating conflicts over the FEW dynamics
now and into the future. This chapter provides examples where conflict exists for
some or all parts of the FEW system, then outlines tools used to manage such conflicts and examples of the tool application.
A note to addressing human conflicts related to food, energy, and water. While
people may wish to find a permanent “resolution” to such conflicts, a final resolution is seldom possible; challenges in the FEW systems are only continuing to grow.
However, designing a robust system for managing these challenges can—and has—
helped decrease the potential for future conflicts and provide people with ways of
adapting to the changes they face. Collaborative solutions can lead to more collaboration, a dynamic that may prove entirely necessary given the rapidly changing
impacts to the FEW system.
20.2 Existing Conflicts Over Food, Energy, and Water
Systems
There are numerous examples of conflicts over food, energy, and water ranging from
local to international. As discussed elsewhere in this book, a shortage of water may
also result in a shortage of power production (either diminished hydro-electric production or an inability to cool a power plant); at the same time, food production is
likely to be limited in that same region (see, e.g., Puckett 2016). The more widespread an impact to the system caused by something like as a regional drought, the
broader the impacts to the FEW system and the more likelihood of conflict.
The metrics discussed in Chap. 13, data in Chap. 14, and modeling tools in Chap.
15 can all help elucidate potential challenges and provide opportunities for running
scenarios to see where conflicts might result. Such tools can also help run scenarios
to find solutions in addressing such challenges. The section below highlights examples of domestic (within country) conflicts and regional conflicts that cross state or
country boundaries.
L. B. Fowler and R. T. Caccese
droughts, heat waves or other variation in weather patterns. For example, the Syrian
Civil War has been linked in part to a multiyear drought and related crop failures
that escalated underlying but already existing tensions into a civil war.
While impacts to food, energy, and water systems can be significant, challenges to
these integrated systems can also be the catalyst to bring people together. While the
rhetoric of conflict may be strong, reality can also be different, particularly in the case
of water. In 1965, Elinor Ostrom coined the term “common pool resources” as those
that have a “high level of interdependency with other individual interests” within the
common pool that people would come together to protect (Ostrom 1965) (see also
Ostrom and Hess 2007). More recently, Dr. Aaron Wolf and colleagues have systematically analyzed the rhetoric of “water wars” and found that water is far more often
used as a catalyst for cooperation than actual war (Wolf 2007).
Such findings may be critical in navigating conflicts over the FEW dynamics
now and into the future. This chapter provides examples where conflict exists for
some or all parts of the FEW system, then outlines tools used to manage such conflicts and examples of the tool application.
A note to addressing human conflicts related to food, energy, and water. While
people may wish to find a permanent “resolution” to such conflicts, a final resolution is seldom possible; challenges in the FEW systems are only continuing to grow.
However, designing a robust system for managing these challenges can—and has—
helped decrease the potential for future conflicts and provide people with ways of
adapting to the changes they face. Collaborative solutions can lead to more collaboration, a dynamic that may prove entirely necessary given the rapidly changing
impacts to the FEW system.
20.2 Existing Conflicts Over Food, Energy, and Water
Systems
There are numerous examples of conflicts over food, energy, and water ranging from
local to international. As discussed elsewhere in this book, a shortage of water may
also result in a shortage of power production (either diminished hydro-electric production or an inability to cool a power plant); at the same time, food production is
likely to be limited in that same region (see, e.g., Puckett 2016). The more widespread an impact to the system caused by something like as a regional drought, the
broader the impacts to the FEW system and the more likelihood of conflict.
The metrics discussed in Chap. 13, data in Chap. 14, and modeling tools in Chap.
15 can all help elucidate potential challenges and provide opportunities for running
scenarios to see where conflicts might result. Such tools can also help run scenarios
to find solutions in addressing such challenges. The section below highlights examples of domestic (within country) conflicts and regional conflicts that cross state or
country boundaries.
L. B. Fowler and R. T. Caccese