Tuesday Twofer: 1) US Army Water Security Strategy Development; 2) Afghan Irrigation Outreach & Water Security Challenges

On 17 January, 19 January and 21 January I featured papers from UCOWR's Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education's (JCWRE) special issue on Water and International Security. Here is the Introduction by issue editor Dr. David Kreamer. Today I have a twofer. You'll be able to read each paper and download a PDF free of charge.

1) Development of an Army Water Security Strategy: Stateside Component, by Paul Koch and Marc Kodack

Abstract

In October 2010, the Army Environmental Policy institute initiated the development of an Army water security strategy, which was ultimately published in December 2011. The purpose of this effort was to; (1) provide a complete workable definition for Army water security, (2) conduct the first comprehensive study of water security management in the Army, and (3) identify the key issues on which Army leadership can focus to ensure that the Army has enough water of suitable quality for the foreseeable future.  A review of key policy drivers was followed by a series of interviews of personnel inside and outside the Army.  The culminating effort identified four major goal areas, three of which apply to stateside military installations:  (1) water resources sustainability – preserve sources, protect rights, (2) reduce demand, and (3) maintain infrastructure integrity and security.  This paper provides a condensed view of the objectives associated with each of these three goals.

2) Irrigation Outreach in Afghanistan: Exposure to Afghan Water Security Challenges by Dennis Reich and Calvin Pearson

Abstract

The authors, from Colorado State University were invited by the United Sates Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service and Afghanistan’s Ministry for Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock to lead a “train-the-trainer” workshop with Afghanistan’s best and brightest irrigation outreach professionals. The six day workshop on the outskirts of Kabul helped clarify that prolonged conflict has damaged agriculture’s access to what should be a plentiful supply of irrigation water. The violence of two wars still lingers today continuing to inhibit foreign aid’s ability to rebuild Afghanistan’s water resources infrastructure. In spite of these challenges participants in the workshop demonstrated remarkable resourcefulness and courage helping producers throughout Afghanistan take advantage of improvements as they came online. With continued assistance from Western researchers and extension professionals that is sensitive to the traditional methods of water administration, there is reason to be hopeful for the future success of Afghanistan’s agricultural sector.

Enjoy!

"A river is made drop by drop." - Aghan (Dari) proverb

Comments

[PAUL F MILLER]

OBJECTIVES FOR PROTECTING AND PRESERVING WATER SOURCES AND WATER RIGHTS INCLUDE ...... This section of the paper has quite ominous overtones with veiled stealth implication our military will exercise potential lethal force to obtain its sustainable water source ... I am not surprised just disappointed ....