water and security 4

<Main headwaters in Israel>

Israel depends three main headwaters; (1) Galilee Lake and Jordan River Valley (2) Mountain aquifer (3) Costal aquifer. Mountain aquifer stretches out from spine of range of West Bank mountains to Israel. Costal aquifer stretches out along the costal plain crossing from Israel to Gaza. Fluctuations in the amount of rainfall are difficult to predict. Supply of renewable fresh water becomes irregular, especially in drought years. Supply of annual water in Israel is 2100MCM altogether. Surface water of Jordan River shares 30% of them. Groundwater from aquifers share 45% of them. 25% of the rest comes from other sources; main source is recycle water.

Jordan River covers 18,300km² area. It stretches from as far north as Mount. Helmon, which is the juncture of borders of Israel, Lebanon and Syria, to as far south as Dead Sea. Jordan River Valley has main three headwaters; (1) Dan River whose headwater is in Israeli territory. Annual water supply is 250MCM. Discharge to Galilee Lake is approximately 540MCM. (2) Banias River (including Helmon Spring) whose headwater is from Golan Heights provides annual water supply is 120MCM. It is affected by the seasonal fluctuation. (3) Hasbani River whose headwater is from Lebanon provides annual water supply is approximately 130MCM.

<Galilee Lake>

Galilee Lake is flowed from precipitation, discharge and springs near the lake. They include salt. Salt accumulation is deteriorating year by year. Storage capacity of Galilee Lake is approximately 4300MCM. Israel started to utilize water from Yarmuk River for 70MCM a year since early 1990. According to Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty, diversion from Yarmuk River as amount of 25MCM was reduced. Israel is separately allowed to pump water 20MCM from Yarmuk River into Galilee Lake in winter. On the one hand, Israel has to release the same amount of water to Jordan. Loss by evaporation is 300MCM annually. 500MCM water from Galilee Lake is available to provide the local people. The National Water Carrier conveys water to densely populated costal area North Negev for irrigation. The National Water Carrier takes in most headwaters in the country to dissolve the utilization of water divide that exists in the regions.

ご無沙汰していました

　　３月に入り、スクールでもクラス編成の時期になりました。私も１年間のプライベートレッスンを経験しました。その結果、１週間に１度のレッスンはやはり少ないのではないかという気がしたので、講師にその感想を述べ、どうするのがベストか、講師に意見を委ねました。結果はまだ出ていません。他の人の英語を聞くというのも勉強になるかと思う今日この頃です。

　　忙しくて２月はすっかり更新できませんでした。アカデミー賞の主演男優省にフォレスト・ウィティカーが受賞しました。嬉しかったですね。「グッド・モーニング　ベトナム」で初めてフォレスト・ウィティカーを見て以来のお気に入りの役者さんだったからです。どちらかと言えば主演クラスの役者さんと言うより、脇の役者さんです。でも、そのような人達が認められると言うのはとても嬉しいことです。

　　芝居でも映画でもそうですが、脇役の役者さんが巧いと芝居が締まりますし、面白くなります。ある意味で、主演というのは誰にでも出来ると言うことができます。しかし、脇役は本当に芝居心のある人ではないと、作品をつまらなくしてしまいます。芝居は主演よりも脇役の方が重要と思うのは、私一人ではありません。だからこそ、普段は脇でがっちりかためている役者さんが認められるのは、何よりだと思います。

　　次回は、いつ更新できるか分かりませんが、また読んで下さい。

water and security 3

＜water and security③＞

The concept of environmental security has actively been being agued since 1990s. However, the concept of environmental security has not clearly been defined. Moreover it is not a general idea. Arthur Westing pointed out that comprehensive security involved factors of political security and environmental security. Political security includes factors among military, economic and humanity. Environmental security also includes preservation, use of resources and environment. Each factor is not isolated; it has to meet an assurance of defense capability and maintenance. In fact, the relationship between environment and security has been gradually recognized. Disruptive influence caused by war on natural environment is well known. Most people say that the main reason for drawing in environmental deterioration is not a war or preparation for a war by country. There are those who don’t believe the idea of environmental deterioration as a threat against security. They think it is figure of speech.

The national security is traditionally seen as; (1) maintenance of the territorial integrity of a country (2) keep an agreeable government both politically and militarily. Security is thought to be synonymous with the national security. Political scientists define the influence of environment is a part of security. In early 1980s, the Independent Commission on Security and Disarmament Issues (ICSDI) created and introduced the concept of common security that added a broader perspective to the national security. It added to new threats against security to the factors of traditional security, for instance, economic slide, political and social insecurity, conflicts with ethnic groups and territorial disputes, international terrorism, money laundering, drug smuggling and so forth.

World Commission on Environment and Development made a connection between security and environment in Brundtland Report in 1987. This report said that human beings have faced two major threats ,which were nuclear proliferation and environmental devastation. However, no consensus has clearly been seen about the definition of environmental security in it. According to the traditional way of thinking of security, pursuit of security becomes a threat to environment. Environment has never been thought as a threat to security. Environmental security has it that; environmental stress has been caused as a direct result of the conflicts. From now on it can be a cause of conflicts. Effect of damage on environment is thought to cause threats on both worldwide security and regional security.

Thomas Homer-Dixon points out that environmental disputes would escalate and affect conflicts between states. It would be a cause of a serious social conflict. Depletion of resources and environmental deteriorations are the factors over environmental disputes. Damage to the environment is one of the causes of armed conflict, however, there is not the fixed pattern of the relationship between them. What to make out of them should be understood among diversities of situation. Mutual distrusts and high tensions, which are based on the differences of economic activity, carrying a lot of weight in international politics and the scale of military force between the two countries or among many countries, complicate the problems. Security in the Middle East region is threatened by unstable utilization of shared natural resources and cross-border pollutions. Water is a typical example in the region.

教師だって褒められたい！！

　　ある英語のライティングの本を読んでいたら、英作文を添削することが如何に広い英語能力が必要であるかということを、改めて認識しました。私は講師に英作文を添削して貰うことは、当たり前のことだと実は考えていました。しかし、それが出来る講師は少ないという事実に気づかされました。会話を直してくれる講師はたくさんいますが、文章を直すと言うことはさらに高い能力を要求されることなのです。

　　その事実に気づかされたとき、私は改めて講師に感謝の気持ちを英語メールで伝えました。珍しく、講師からはすぐに返信のメールが届きました。今日のレッスンでも改めて謝意を表されてしまいました。彼曰く、「ありがとう、あんなcomplimentsが英語教師には時々必要だよ。僕にはとてもね。」

　　なぜ、私がそのようなメールを出すのかというと、私も一人で仕事をしているからです。ですから、誰も褒めてくれる人はいません。それが時には仕事に影響するからです。講師は人に英語を教えて当たり前、それで生計を立てているのですから。しかし、だからこそ、講師だって褒めてくれる人は必要なのです。その能力を認め、感謝することで、講師もまた気持ちを新たにすることが出来るのです。それはひいては生徒である私達に返ってくるからです。　　

　　講師に謝意を表された私は内心で「生徒である私もたまには褒めてね」と思っていました。

execution of Saddam Hussein

＜execution of Saddam Hussein＞

Saddam Hussein was executed at the end of last year on the ground of crimes against humanity. Main reason for his execution is that he killed almost one hundred fifty Shiite Muslims. But his other crimes are not cleared. Most people, who heard his execution, have raised a question as to why Saddam was killed like Ceausescu immediately after the trial was over. All Iraqis including the U.S. leaders have to do is to bring out what he was doing while in power, not killing a dictator. The U.S. did not allow international institution like the United Nations to make up the court to bring Saddam to justice. The court was established from the full will of the Iraqis on a superficial level. But the U.S. eliminated the UN influence over the court. As a result, transparency of the court was absolutely damaged.

The video foortage of the execution of Saddam Hussein has floated worldwide through the Internet. The camera traced everything he did and his expression. He looked calm before being hunged. He did not show much regret for what he had done. He seemed to know his inevitable fate. He was given a death immediately after going up the stairs to the gallows. The camera took a picture of his death. The screen showed what was going on. The image of the screen was rocked. It is not known exactly whether it secretly take a shot or not. The rumor has been circulated among the Muslims that Saddam has yet to die. Whether the execution video is secretly taken or not, his death was apparent. It is said that the movie was taken by the mobile phone with a camera function.

His immediate execution is wrong because it has burried the whole truth of his crimes. His death cannot bring a solution to the turmoil in Iraq. It makes mistrust toward the U.S. and Iraqi leaders deeper. Saddam Hussein had repressed the opposition and Kurds. Accordingly conflicts over Iraq had never erupted during his assumption of power. Once Saddam’s regime was toppled, all conflicts came to the surface. The Iraq war led by the U.S. forces poured oil on the fire. Will his death help or worsen the Iraq crisis?

Khalil al-Dulaimi, Saddam’s defence lawyer, told Reuters; “The Americans have notified us that they have handed over the president to the Iraqi authorities. They told us the president is no longer under the authority of the American forces and they requested us not to got to Baghdad.” One American said, “Saddam should die for the way in which he ruled his country and oppressed his people” I can understand what he/she said. But only Iraqis decide how to rule their country, not American forces, not other authorities. It seems that the problem is not so much Saddam’s crimes as it is the U.S. intervention in Iraq.

<append a note >

The Iraqi authorities have arrested a guard over a video as Saddam was placed on the gallows to be hanged. Meanwhile, Iraqi national security adviser said on Wednesday a committee investigating the filming and its leak was questioning a guard at the army base where the hanging took place.

F-22「ラプター」嘉手納基地、一時配備

　　高性能戦闘機F-22が２月から嘉手納基地に配備されると言うことですが、これは何を想定してのことでしょうか。配備期間も３ヶ月程度であることから、ある特定の任務を想定していると言うよりも、実戦配備を前提にした準備段階ということでしょうか。しかし、このF-22の配備にともなって250人の人員増加が見込まれています。嘉手納町議会ではF-22配備について、「一時配備といえども基地機能の強化であり、負担増は明白だ。容認できない」として抗議しました。

　　同時期にアメリカは、韓国においてステルス機F-117ナイトホークが配備します。これは北朝鮮が再度核実験を予定していることなどから、北朝鮮を想定しているというのは紛れもない事実であると言えるでしょう。

　　F-22はステルス性能とスーパークルーズを併せ持つと言われ、アフターバーナーなしでマッハ1.58を記録したと言われています。しかし、実際はもっと行っているのではないかとも言われています。F-15戦闘機が48億円ですが、このF-22は約156億円とも言われており、航空自衛隊の次期戦闘機の候補にも挙がっています。日本の兵器の中でも最高額と言われるイージス艦が1243億円ですから、F-22の価格は決して安いものではありません。

　　このF-22は通称「ラプター」と言われます。英語で「猛禽」の意味です。以前、このF-22についてテレビ番組で取り上げたのを見たことがありますが、一般的に大きな注目を浴びているわけではありません。しかし、静かに事は潜行しているような気がするのは多くの人が感じていることではないでしょうか。

water and security NO.2

Israel has faced a water shortage, as is the case with other countries in the Middle East. The climate cycle of a decade that drought over a period of years and blessed with relatively raininess has been seen in Israel while global warming, depletion of ozone layer and deforestation have been progressing. Although Israel has some rainy climate of a decade, it cannot cover a lack of water resources caused by pumping groundwater over the years. Water Commissioner in Israel states that water deficit by pumping groundwater for long years has amounted to 2000 MCM (million cubic meters). The figure equals to the annual consumption of the country. Pumping huge amount of groundwater makes water level of aquifers and surface water resources low. Salt accumulation by lower water level causes declining water quality. It has risen to the surface as a serious problem.

For Israel, assuring water volume has usually been top priority of water policy. After the foundation of the state of Israel, some Zionist leaders have deeply associated water with an ideology of Zionism. They see water as a national asset. Therefore a private ownership of water resources has never been admitted. Agricultural sector as embodiment of a part of Zionism contributes to the national economy less and less these days. According to some experts, a series of policies for agricultural sector over allocation, lower price and subsidies distorts water policy.

Since late 1980, Israel has changed its water policy. There were important factors to affect it. As followed: Israel experienced a change in industrial structures in 1980. There were a series of drought in late 1980. Water commission has adopted a policy to cut back on the allocation toward agricultural sector since 1986. The first Intifada began in occupied territories in 1987. Mass Jewish immigration to Israel from former Soviet Union needed large amount of water since 1991. Rabin launched his second cabinet in 1992. Israel signed the Oslo Agreement with PLO in 1993. Rapid change of both the international situation and the internal political climate accordingly affected Israeli water policy. Israel has been being forced to change the water policy since early in 1990. There has been growing emphasis on the quality of water, that is, it places more importance on quality rather than quantity. However, quantity and quality is not considered separate issues but two sides of the same coin.

 There have been problems left unresolved between Israel and Palestinians. There are demarcation borders, Jewish settlements in occupied territories, return rights of Palestinian refugees, Jerusalem and water. Israeli internal water problems relates to the conflicts in Middle East because the access to water resources in safety has been one of priorities on national security since the foundation of the state of Israel. An efficient use of fresh water without a nuisance maintained an economic activity and played a key role for the infant state under the condition of population growth by large number of immigrants. People thought water was a necessary condition for economic growth and security. The first Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett commented at Knesset ”Water is not luxury but is useful to us. Water is life itself to us”

ホテルのホスピタリティ

　　ホテルに滞在する時、宿泊者は一体何に対してその代価を支払っているのでしょうか。もちろん、ある一定の部屋とそれに伴うサービスを占有するという点に対して支払っているという点について、異論はないでしょう。しかし、それはホテル全般当たり前のことです。それ以外となると人によって意見もまちまちでしょう。私はホスピタリティに対する代価は心理的な大きな要因であると思います。

　　名前を挙げてしまいますが、帝国ホテルのホスピタリティはやはり一流ではないでしょうか。外国人が多く宿泊するホテルでは、場合によっては日本人に対するホスピタリティと、外国人に対するホスピタリティに差がある場合が残念ながら見られます。 某エアラインのように区別をあからさまに感じることもあります。これは根本的にホスピタリティに問題があります。

　　しかし、ホテルのホスピタリティを肌で実感するということは稀です。それでもなお、違いが分かるというのは何が問題でしょうか。これはただ一点、スタッフの教育にあります。スタッフの教育が行き届いていれば、たとえ建物が古くとも、気持ちよく過ごすことが出来ます。（清潔やアメニティという問題も大きな要因ではありますが）

　　それは何かというと、宿泊者に対して配慮すると言うことです。何かして欲しいことはないか、不都合はないか、という基本的な思いやりです。マニュアルでスタッフに徹底させている所もあるでしょう。しかし、それがマニュアルで言っているのか、あるいはホスピタリティとして出ているのか、宿泊者は直感するものです。

　　もう二度と宿泊したくないと思うホテルには、このホスピタリティが欠如しています。関西にあるＨホテルは正に悪い見本でした。

water and security No.1

Will a war involving water break out in the Middle East region in 21 century? Ex-Secretary General of the United Nations Boutros Boutros-Ghali said that the next war in the Middle East region would be a conflict over water. In fact, the disputes over water ceaselessly have continued in the region. It is said that one of the reasons for starting the Six Day War is a water conflict whether it is main reason or not. Syria started to construct a conduit to convert Jordan River to Lebanese side before flowing into Israel. Syria intended to divert Jordan River water before Israeli land to Lebanon. It was the final straw to begin the war. Israeli forces destroyed the dam of Yarmuk River that was a tributary of Jordan River. Impound water of the dam would reduce amount of Jordan Valley water of a downstream area. It would affect Israeli agricultures and be a matter of life or death. Israel had to block it.

Ex vice-president and environmental adviser of World Bank Ismail Selagerdin predicted that the oil had caused wars in 20 century, however, international disputes will break out in 21 century over water. Nowadays population of arid and semiarid region is considerably increasing. It causes the lack of water resources. Water is not only absolutely essential for human life but also an important resource to bolster economic life. While humans have faced environmental deterioration on a global scale, the situation about water is as deteriorated as it ever was.

“Migratory bird does not know boundaries on the globe.” It is metaphor for existence of natural circulation across the borders recognized by human beings. It holds true with headwaters on the surface to lives of humans. International rivers flow over boundaries and environmental pollution crosses them as well. Owing to population growth, urbanization and industrialization, people use large quantity of water from upstream areas of rivers. It causes depletion of the water of downstream area. As a result of sever water shortage, a country of down waters of a river seriously comes into collision with a country of upper waters one. Water shortage in the Middle East, which is arid region, is caused not only climate conditions, drought in particular but also declining the quality of water caused by pollution and intrusion of sea water, irrigation, large amount of pumping groundwater and so on. Human activity is the main cause for water shortage. Both irresponsible management of water system and lack of administrative ability contribute to water crises. Disordered management of water has given a critical damage on water resources. Ex vice-president of World Bank William Cosgrove commented that there had been a water crisis that was a crisis of a management.

 　　　　　　　The World Water Forum was held on March in 2003. It stated a recommendation to promote a water management. As followed; ①put in place control systems ②human resources development ③importance of funds. Government should appropriate the full weight of a budget for water policy running a parallel course with eliminating the increasing burden on the poor. Government should adopt “Users pay principle” And introduction of private sector money will be important. It recommended that private sector would involve water supplier. And it referred that governments take into account a key role of water as public goods.

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