ULAN-UDE. June 25 (Interfax) - Armed conflicts for possessing fresh water are possible in the future, says Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.
"Rivalry for water may become a serious challenge to international and regional security in the modern world," Patrushev told journalists following an international security conference in Ulan-Ude on Thursday.
"There are 276 international water basins shared by 145 countries. But only one third of the trans-frontier basins are covered by interstate agreements, and the rest are managed depending on a situation, which could prompt conflicts, including armed ones," he said.
"It's unacceptable to use the water factor as an instrument of geopolitical pressure or influence," he said.
Patrushev called for drawing up an ethical code of water use and management within the framework of international water law.