Water For The Environment

Water – not oil or minerals – is the most controlling resource on Earth. Its distribution, quantity, availability, and quality are the controls for the development of agriculture, industry, rural, urban, and municipal use. Water and the Environment, the 5th publication in the AGI Environmental Awareness Series, provides information about water and its importance; where water comes from; water-related environmental concerns; water protection, policies and regulations; and our future needs for water. This richly illustrated, non-technical publication is appropriate for the general public, educators, and policymakers.

Perhaps the most endangered natural resource in times of war is truth. This became very evident during the Kosovo Conflict. When the Rambouillet accord failed and NATO air strikes started on 24 March 1999, alarming reports began to appear about the environmental damage caused by the bombing. Images of Panc˘evo and Novi Sad oil refineries on fire, toxic chemicals leaking into the River Danube, and bomb craters in protected areas were competing with those of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing their homes in Kosovo.

Water – not oil or minerals – is the most controlling resource on Earth. Its distribution, quantity, availability, and quality are the controls for the development of agriculture, industry, rural, urban, and municipal use.