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Wars of the future may be fought over water, as they are today over oil, as the source of all life enters the global marketplace and political arena.  Corporations, private investors, and governments vie for control of our dwindling fresh water supply, prompting protests, lawsuits, and revolts from citizens fighting for the right to survive. Water is essential to life - no one should be able to control it or expropriate it for profit. In the current global water crisis, billions of people still lack access to basic water and sanitation services. Everyday, thousands of people die from preventable diseases contracted because they do not have access to clean water.With every country seeking to satisfy its water needs from limited resources, some foresee a future filled with conflict. But history shows that cooperation, not conflict, is the most common response to transboundary water management issues.

Over the last 60 years there have been more than 300 international water agreements and only 37 cases of reported violence between states over water. The world needs to continue to nurture the opportunities for cooperation that transboundary water management can provide.

Together we share the responsibility for managing the world's water for current and future generations.  Whether we live upstream or downstream, we are all in the same boat.