The discussion on ownership of natural resources is not one with an easy answer, but it is one that is becoming more important as energy (which comes from natural resources) becomes a greater issue; not just the supply of energy, but related issues of energy security, renewable energy etc. Water is also a big, big issue and one that will get even bigger. It is also related to energy, since hydro-power can be an effective method of generating electricity, often in developing regions which can benefit from the electricity and the income; since those areas might not have any other resources.
If you build a dam to generate electricity, you create unmeasurable impacts upstream (through needing to flood certain areas and destroy biodiversity or relocate residents) and even greater impacts downstream where the river's flow and composition is altered which affects those who rely on the river for food, to flood their fields, for transport, for drinking or even for their own electricity. These are just the problems affecting people directly, let alone the other biodiversity related impacts. So who owns the rights to use a river, especially if that denies others those same rights?
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