Water as vital to national security as defence - UN

* Shared rivers, aquifers face strains from more demand

* 145 countries share river basins with neighbours

* U.N. issues first definition of water security

By Environment Correspondent Alister Doyle
Reuters
March 22, 2013

OSLO - Stresses on water supplies aggravated by climate change are likely to cause more conflicts and water should be considered as vital to national security as defence, a United Nations report said on Friday.