Reference News, March 10 - According to AFP, attacks on water are not common during wartime, but they have appeared in the Middle East conflict with strikes on desalination plants, which are vital for millions of residents in the region.
The authorities said that a desalination plant in Bahrain was damaged by an Iranian drone attack on the 8th. The day before, Iran claimed that its Qeshm Island had been subjected to a similar attack, affecting the water supply to 30 villages.
The report said that these attacks are currently under control, but water resource economist Esther Cross-Delborg warned in an interview: "Those who dare to attack water first will trigger a war far greater than the one we see today."
The region is one of the driest in the world, with available water resources only one-tenth of the global average, according to the World Bank. Desalination plants play a crucial role in the economy and drinking water consumption for millions of residents.
A recent study published in the journal Nature showed that about 42% of global desalination capacity is concentrated in the Middle East.
"There is nothing there without desalinated water," concluded Esther Cross-Delborg. This is especially strategically significant in big cities like Dubai and Riyadh.
The report mentioned that as early as 2010, a CIA analysis pointed out that "destroying most of the desalination facilities in Arab countries could have more serious consequences than losing any other industrial or raw material."
In 2008, a U.S. diplomatic cable disclosed by WikiLeaks stated that if the Jubail desalination plant or its water pipelines supplying Saudi Arabia were "seriously damaged or destroyed," "Riyadh would have to evacuate within a week." (Translated by Lin Xiaoxuan)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7615582763093180943/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.