Preventing Water Wars In Times Of Drought

Cape Town, South Africa, is preparing for a "Day Zero" - a day when the authorities predict municipal wells will run dry.  According to the statement from Cape Town's Mayor, Day Zero is expected mid-May, 2018.  The Mayor urges that: "All Capetonians must ... continue to use no more than 50 litres per person per day to help stretch our dwindling supplies."

According to an article published in the National Geographic on July 14, 2016¹: "The United Nations predicts a global shortfall in water by 2030. About 30 percent of the planet's available freshwater is in the aquifers that underlie every continent."

The prospect of water shortage is alarming for many reasons.  Obviously – people cannot live without water.  Less obviously – authorities providing water may start waging water wars to protect what they see as their resources.