|
Drinking Water
Shortages, Polluted Drinking Water, Environmental Degradation, and Floods
Will Hurt U.S. National Security
Washington, D.C., Jan. 31, 2012. The man in charge of all of America's
intelligence gathering testified today before the Senate Select Committee
on Intelligence for the annual Worldwide Threat Assessment. The following
are excerpts from National Director of Intelligence
James Clapper's
prepared remarks as provided to ABC News.
During the next 10 years, water problems will
contribute to instability in nations important to U.S. national security
interests.
Water shortages, poor water quality, and floods
are unlikely to result in government failure. Water problems combined with
poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation, ineffectual
leadership, and weak political institutions contribute to social
disruptions that can result in state failure.
Now and for the foreseeable future, water
shortages and pollution probably will negatively affect the economic
performance of important U.S. trading partners. |