Bezbednosni Dijalozi (Dec 2014)
Ethnic composition of the population around the water sources as an internal security threat in Macedonia
Abstract
Water is undoubtedly the most important ingredient for life and the survival of humans and all living beings on Earth with great importance for the uninterrupted running of all biological processes and functioning of the human social and economic systems, hence it is one of the key factors for security. Given the territorial distribution of the population around water sources and its ethnic diversity, in terms of the complex inter-ethnic relations, the main question in this article is about the impact of this correlation on security. The purpose of this research is the analyze the relevance of the ethnic composition of the population around water sources as a factor of security threat in Macedonia. The introductory section starts with the scientific and theoretical considerations of the importance of water and access to water sources for security by exposing and explaining the possible ways of endangering safety as it sets up the theoretical framework through which will be examined examples and actual events. The second part covers cases of Vevchani protests in 1987, shutting off the valves on Lipkovo Dam and Lake Glazhnja in 2001, and protests against the construction of the regional water supply in Patishka Reka in 2007 and 2010 reviewed in terms of their relation to the ethnic composition of the population and interethnic relations. The research continues by elaborating other possible crisis areas around water sources and water supply systems in several other cities in Macedonia such as Skopje, Bitola, Veles, Struga, Gostivar, Kicevo along with the real potential threats of occupation of Rasche spring in 2001, and closing the regional water supply system Studencica due to the ethnopolitical tensions about the territorial reorganization of Kicevo in 2012. Finally, the research concludes by assumptions about the most expedient and most successful methods to overcome and resolve this type of security threat.
