Water is one of the most important resource for living beings. In the midst of climate crisis we are faced with shortage of water and intense droughts leading to geo-political tensions and possible armed conflict. Research led by A. Loch concludes:
Water theft term refers to improperly siphoning off water on large scale disrupting supplies to other by large agricultural industry
30-50% of world’s water is stolen
This “grand theft water” remains misunderstood and under-appreciated by governments
Examples:
• Marijuana cropping in Northern California
• Strawberry plantation in the Doñana marshlands in southern Spain
• Cotton growing in the Barwon-Darling River system in central Australia
Though all these business are highly profitable, they are also water-intensive, and they take place in the regions where water can be unpredictably scarce, creating a perfect definition for water theft.