Water : Asia's New Battleground Brahma Chellany Georgetown University Press Washington DC 2011

 For those unfamiliar with the Asian water reality, the author began by communicating the basic facts: Asia houses three-fifths of the human population, it "has less freshwater per capita than any other continent" (p. 1), the continent as a whole manages its water less efficiently and productively and has a declining per capita water availability rate. Additionally, it has rivers that flow into the most countries, making agreements more complex. What complicates reaching peaceful agreements on water issues stem from the lack of "an Asian security architecture" (p. 2) and existing riparian disputes. By analyzing the water issues of the region, the author focused on water's security implications. Aquifers and rivers that cross borders get special attention, such as the al-Disi, and the Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Brahmaputra, Mekong, Salween, Indus, Jordan, Tigris-Euphrates, Irtysh-Illy, and the Amur. Tibet plays a key role "as Asia's water repository, water supplier, and rainmaker, thereby underscoring the centrality of the Tibetan  Plateau on the Asian water map" (p. 2).                                                                                                                                                                                Areas of recent security conflict in Asia have water as one of the primary causes. Kashmir, the Golan Heights and the West Bank, Arunachal Pradesh, Kyrgyzstan's Fergana Valley and Turkey's Kurdish southeast region all have water implications.  

Chapter 1 provided a general overview of the Asian water reality. Chapter 2 covered "the securitization of water at a time when Asia is beginning to confront serious constraints on natural resources" (p. 5). Chapter 3 delved into the importance of the Tibetan Plateau on Asian water supply. Chapter 4 explained in depth the "international political and environmental implications of the Chinese plans to divert the Brahmaputra River's waters, including by building the world's biggest dam next to a disputed, heavily militarized border with India" (p. 5). Chapters 5 and 6 uncovered the political actions and maneuvers that countries engage in to influence or manage water disputes. The discussion presented case studies of China, India, and Israel to support its conclusions. The final chapter, Chapter 7 Asia's Challenge Forestalling Bloodletting over Water, itemized the author's suggestions for circumventing military conflict over water. He listed in the appendixes the agreements between states after colonization and his potential solutions.