Tragedy of the commons

Just when you thought had enough reasons for not feeling great about Saudi Arabia, here’s yet another. They’re taking our water. Sorta.

You may have noticed that the southwestern part of the United States has been featured on The Weather Channel this week. If you think it’s hot in Arkansas, try Arizona. The place is scorching. And it just so happens that the whole Colorado River basin is in a major drought. If you fly over Arizona today, you’ll see a bunch of gray and brown. With the exception of some very large areas of lush green.

These green spots, in an otherwise barren sea of beige and tan, are alfalfa farms. They’re lush because they’re fed by groundwater pumped to the surface like oil. The alfalfa is harvested and exported back to the Kingdom to feed their dairy cows.

A reasonable person might ask, why would folks in the Middle East come all the way over here to grow something and send it back? Simple: Growing alfalfa in Saudi Arabia is illegal, because it takes so much water to quench the crop’s thirst.

But the Kingdom doesn’t mind buying, renting or leasing acreage in Arizona, right on top of an aquifer, then putting in wells to cover the alfalfa’s water needs. And the Americans in Arizona who need the water—for their own farming, or just to drink—have called this, er, “bad form.”

Some of the more vocal opponents of the alfalfa farms say it’s the equivalent of the Saudis taking American water for next to nothing.

Not to worry. David Kelly, general manager of Fondomonte, owned by one of the largest dairy companies in Saudi Arabia, says the company follows the same rules that govern farming operations throughout the state, while going out of its way to save water and serve the community. It even provided Fondomonte-sponsored sports bags and company logo’ed covid masks for a local high school.

He said Fondomonte “should be heralded for its water efficiency.” That’s great. Good for them. It still doesn’t change the fact that once they finally did disclose their consumption after threats by the state, it was found that their annual consumption was enough water for a city of 50,000 people per year.

In the grand scheme of things, 50,000 people is not that many. However, that’s 500,000 over the past decade, which is far fewer than the number of people who live within Arkansas’ borders. Unlike most aquifers that recharge through rain water, the ones in Arizona don’t have much opportunity to recharge because, lo and behold, it doesn’t rain much in the Arizona desert.

This problem started years ago out west, even before Arizona became a state. It stems from the deeply held Western view that water is private property. And if you own the land above it, the stuff in the aquifer below belongs to you. This is called The Tragedy of the Commons. If everybody draws from the same resource, but doesn’t think of their neighbor doing the same, the resource will, sometimes literally, dry up.

We don’t doubt that the Saudis are following the same rules “that govern farming operations throughout the state.”

So maybe the state should update its rules.

Before the tragedy of the commons turns even more tragic for the people of Arizona.