Water find 'may end Darfur war'

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

A huge underground lake has been found in Sudan's Darfur region, scientists say, which they believe could help end the conflict in the arid region.
Some 1,000 wells will be drilled in the region, with the agreement of Sudan's government, the Boston University researchers say.

Analysts say competition for resources between Darfur's Arab nomads and black African farmers is behind the conflict.

>
The team used radar data to find the ancient lake, which was 30,750 km2 - the size of Lake Erie in the US - the 10th largest lake in the world.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6904318.stm

[Massachusetts]

1. Water always taken for granted, now equal to Oil, Gold, Diamonds

[glowing]

2. I'd say there problems have only begun...n/t

[ret5hd]

3. Bechtel to the rescue!

[NashVegas]

11. My Thoughts Exactly

from a different source:

The director of the Boston University Center for Remote Sensing, Farouk El-Baz, led the effort that discovered the massive lake in northern Darfur using radar data from space.

He says water pumped from the underground reservoir that measures as large as Massachusetts could help spark economic growth in Darfur.

http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6802851&nav=F2DO

[lonestarnot]

4. A lake the size of Lake Erie "just now found" when people have been starved for water there for

years... WTF Sounds like they were sunk before they floated.

[ret5hd]

5. You do realize the lake is not visible, right?

I mean, it is underground.

[lonestarnot]

7. aha ha hahahhah

bwwwwwaaaaa ahahhaaahahh :rofl:

[ret5hd]

13. i guess i don't get the joke.

[lonestarnot]

14. The article said it was underfucking underground, just newly discovered.

That means to me since people have been disease ridden over there for years due to sanitation problems due to lack of fucking water, that someone has spent a lot of time preparing water right documents before deciding to "out" the lake and and assign drilling authority for some 1K+ wells there to help these POOR DARKSKINNED people." Now there will be money, power and notariety for the "discovery." Yes I knew the lake was not "visible." Many things these days are not "visible."

[ret5hd]

15. Well, you're quite a pleasure to converse with.

I look forward to future pleasant interactions with you. It's so hard to find someone with whom i essentially agree yet will still spew scorn and ridicule upon me.

[lonestarnot]

16. Did you hear any of the allnighter?

hmmmmf.

[NashVegas]

10. oops

[Seedersandleechers]

6. So at this point

which is more valuable-the water or the oil? Probably found the water while hunting for oil reserves.

[dipsydoodle]

9. The water - the Chinese have got the oil.

That was sewn up donkeys years ago.

From August 2004 :

China is Sudan's largest trading partner and the main foreign investor in Sudan's oil industry. China National Petroleum Corp. has a 40 percent share in the international consortium extracting oil in Sudan, and it is building refineries and pipelines, enabling Sudan to benefit from oil export revenue since 1999.

http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/cohenr/20040805.htm

[dipsydoodle]

8. Additional links here

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/17/america/NA-GEN-US-Darfur-Ancient-Lake.php

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/world/4976230.html

The water reservoir lies underneath a former highland lake whose features are covered by wind-blown sand, researchers said. The ancient lake occupied an area of 11,873 square miles (30,751 sq. kilometers)
http://www.pr-inside.com/scientists-find-underground-lake-in-r175392.htm

[semillama]

12. I was going to say this would probably be the first news story

that Americans saw about Darfur that highlighted water access as a prime mover of the conflict, but then noted it was a BBC article. Oh well.

[gasperc]

17. they'll kill the people drilling wells

NATO soldiers are needed to drill these wells or an African defense force. Instead of fighting over water, the tribes will fight against those trying to drill the wells that will bring the water to people they hate.

[aquart]

18. Massacre is not "conflict."

There are not two sides armed and fighting. There is one side armed and murdering.

[Dragonbreathp9d]

19. analysts are wrong but its still a good find

[applegrove]

20. How on earth would that end conflict. The conflict started as Oil was found

in Darfur. Why if they now find water (a resource in desperate need in the region) would that make things better? I don't understand.

[Myrina]

21. ... because Hallliburton can bring peace to the land ...

:shrug: ... in the form of less-than-minimum wage pipeline jobs and $3.50/litre bottle.

[applegrove]

22. You know I could see Haliburton trying to sell bottled water from Africa elsewhere. I can

actually picture it.

[shenmue]

23. No, because the people can drink some clean water...

and then they won't be dying quite as much.

Just a thought.

[Myrina]

25. ... its called sarcasm

... you should try it sometime. :eyes:

[shenmue]

24. Thank God

:loveya:

[Eugene]

26. BBC: Ancient Darfur lake 'is dried up'

Source: BBC News

Last Updated: Friday, 20 July 2007, 12:14 GMT 13:14 UK

Ancient Darfur lake 'is dried up'

A vast underground lake that scientists hoped could help
to end violence in Sudan's Darfur region probably dried
up thousands of years ago, an expert says.

Alain Gachet, who used satellite images and radar in his
research, said the area received too little rain and had
the wrong rock types for water storage.

But the French geologist said there was enough water
elsewhere in Darfur to end the fighting and rebuild the
economy.

-snip-

He accepted that the Boston researchers had a slim
chance of being right, but he said he was not optimistic.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6908224.stm

[Massachusetts]

27. Meanwhile.......

[ohio2007]

28. water wars may fuel strife in Dafur

between Darfur's Arab nomads,influx of other nations Arabs and black African farmers.

imo, that could easily be the articles actual spin