Kadhafi Alerts Arabs On Impending Water Shortage Panafrican News Agency

October 16, 2000

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Libyan leader, Col. Moammar Kadhafi, has warned the Arab world that the only solution out of the impending water shortage crisis was to inter-link with the African Union whose countries have abundant water resources.

Addressing a news conference in Riyadh last Friday, Kadhafi pointed at the Arab world's harsh environmental situation, characterised by the vast barren Sahara desert, which would have no future after oil reserves have been exhausted.

"The non-renewable water reserves recede on a daily basis as a result of population growth," Kadhafi warned, adding that the Arabs have no future outside the African Union.

He particularly singled out countries like Libya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and even Egypt, saying they were on the threshold of an environmental disaster due to the critical water shortage situation.

Jordan utilises an average of 100 cubic metres of water per individual while Saudi Arabia has 250 cubic metres compared to 7,000 cubic meters elsewhere in the world, the Libyan leader said.

"We are thus poor and our situation is worse than that of countries with poor financial revenue."

Syria and Iraq, the only two Arab countries with an average of 3,000 cubic metres of water, also face the risk of water shortage because of the dam constructed by Turkey which hosts the source of their water, Kadhafi explained.

The Libyan leader warned that the Arab world was heading for a disaster unless it seriously decides to join the African space so as to jointly meet the challenge of globalisation.

"What will happen to the huge buildings we built after the exhaustion of the oil resources?" he wondered.

According to the Libyan leader, the salvation of Arabs lies in them joining the African Union to form a vast socio- economic space with the African States which are endowed with huge renewable water reserves.

He said this would enable Arabs and Africans to deal on equal basis with other blocs that have been formed or are in the process of being formed in accordance with the demands of globalisation.

On his tour which took him to Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia, Kadhafi told the news conference: "The purpose of my Arab tour is to convince the Arabs of Asia to join the African Union to avoid being lost in the new world groupings."

http://allafrica.com/stories/200010160330.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), October 17, 2000

Answers

"The non-renewable water reserves recede on a daily basis as a result of population growth," Kadhafi warned.

Wow, even Kadhafi gets it. Population growth = resource shortage.

I wonder when the politicians in D. C. wil "get it".

BTW, Congress is getting ready to pass an amnesty to "illegal" immigrants that will add about 1.5 million more people (or more thru chain migration) to this country.

The legal immigrants in my family who waited their turn and entered this country legally are furious about this. What is this telling us, especially our children? That it is o.k. to break the laws of this country? How Clintonesque! A poll was released the other day that basically showed that the majority of high school kids think it is alright to lie and cheat. Legislation like this amnesty for illegals supports this mindset.

-- K (infosurf@yahoo.com), October 18, 2000.