the ▁politics ▁of ▁water ▁policy ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁so ver eign ▁states ”, ▁“ inter - state ▁hyd ropol it ics ” ▁and ▁“ the ▁global ▁politics ▁of ▁water ”. The ▁avail ability ▁of ▁drink ing ▁water ▁per ▁cap ita ▁is ▁in ade qu ate ▁and ▁shr inking ▁world wide . ▁The ▁causes , ▁related ▁to ▁both ▁quantity ▁and ▁quality , ▁are ▁many ▁and ▁varied ; ▁they ▁include ▁local ▁scarc ity , ▁limited ▁avail ability ▁and ▁population ▁press ures , ▁but ▁also ▁human ▁activities ▁of ▁mass ▁consumption , ▁mis use , ▁environmental ▁de grad ation ▁and ▁water ▁poll ution , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁climate ▁change . ▁ ▁Water ▁is ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁natural ▁resource , ▁and ▁scarc ity ▁of ▁pot able ▁water ▁is ▁a ▁frequent ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁political ▁conflicts ▁throughout ▁the ▁world . ▁With ▁decre asing ▁avail ability ▁and ▁increasing ▁demand ▁for ▁water , ▁some ▁have ▁predicted ▁that ▁clean ▁water ▁will ▁become ▁the ▁" next ▁oil "; ▁making ▁countries ▁like ▁Canada , ▁Chile , ▁Norway , ▁Colombia ▁and ▁Peru , ▁with ▁this ▁resource ▁in ▁abund ance , ▁the ▁water - rich ▁countries ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁UN ▁World ▁Water ▁Development ▁Report ▁( W W DR , ▁ 2 0 0 3 ) ▁from ▁the ▁World ▁Water ▁Ass ess ment ▁Program ▁indicates ▁that , ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁ 2 0 ▁years , ▁the ▁quantity ▁of ▁water ▁available ▁to ▁everyone ▁is ▁predicted ▁to ▁decrease ▁by ▁ 3 0 %. ▁Currently , ▁ 4 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁inhabitants ▁have