Water, Resource Security and State Co-operation

The document examines how dwindling fresh water resources and population growth in Southern Africa increase the risk of resource-based conflict. It advocates for redefining security to include 'soft' non-military threats, such as ecological degradation and poverty, and suggests that regional co-operation through SADC and free trade can mitigate water insecurity. The text provides a detailed synoptic view of major river basins in the region, noting a paradox where the most economically developed areas (the south) have the scarcest water, while the north possesses abundant but under-utilised resources.

• Water scarcity is projected to increase significantly in Southern Africa by 2025, with Lesotho and South Africa expected to move into 'absolute water scarcity' and Malawi and Kenya facing prospects of living 'beyond the present water barrier'.
• The document argues for a paradigm shift in security studies, moving from 'national security' focused on state sovereignty and military power to 'human security', which addresses non-military threats like poverty, social injustice, and ecological degradation.
• Environmental scarcity is categorized into three types: supply-induced (resource degradation), demand-induced (population growth or increased consumption), and structural (unequal distribution within or between countries).
• There is a stark imbalance between water availability and usage in Southern Africa; South Africa accounts for over 80% of total regional water use despite possessing only 10% of the total water resources.
• The Zaire River basin possesses a water resource potential that far exceeds all other rivers in the region, with a Mean Annual Run (MAR) over ten times that of the Zambezi and approximately 25 times that of all South African rivers combined.
• The SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems establishes a regional framework based on the principle of equity to manage shared water resources and prevent conflict through agreed procedures and institutional cooperation.
• The document suggests that water-scarce regions can reduce vulnerability and avoid military conflict by importing 'water in food'—shifting agricultural production to water-abundant regions and importing the resulting food staples.
• The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) primarily focuses on external military aggression, treating disaster relief and the protection of natural resources as secondary functions, which the author suggests may leave the state unprepared for armed conflicts over water.

APA

Solomon, H., Hudson, H., & Conley, A. (1996). Water, Resource Security and State Co-operation. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono6.pdf

Chicago

Solomon, Hussein, Heidi Hudson, and A Conley. Water, Resource Security and State Co-operation. Institute for Security Studies, 1996. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono6.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Solomon |first1=Hussein |last2=Hudson |first2=Heidi |last3=Conley |first3=A |title=Water, Resource Security and State Co-operation |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=October 1996 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono6.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{solomon1996water, author = {Solomon, Hussein and Hudson, Heidi and Conley, A}, title = {{Water, Resource Security and State Co-operation}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {1996}, month = oct, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono6.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }