What conflicts are associated with water?

Water resources and water infrastructure are not only triggers of conflict—they can be a casualties of conflict or used as weapons as well. In regions where water scarcity is becoming an ever-increasing concern, water may become a driver of conflict and violence. And in parts of the world where violent conflict is occurring, vital water infrastructure can be damaged or destroyed, in some cases purposefully, to cause harm to the opposing side. As water crises accelerate today, they trigger systemic stresses that spark conflict, food insecurity, and human migration. The Pacific Institute’s Water Conflict Chronology stands as a significant contribution to efforts aimed at addressing inequities in water resource management, keeping peace, and protecting critical infrastructure and resources during violent conflicts. This widely respected resource traces the history of water as a trigger, a casualty, or a weapon of violent conflict. Since the 1980s, the Pacific Institute has been compiling and curating data on water conflicts, a testament to its commitment to this issue. 1900+ Water conflict incidents catalogued from 2500 BCE to 2023. The latest update in August 2024 resulted in addition of 300 new instances of violent conflicts associated with water resources and water systems.

Tensions over water have been a major source of conflict throughout human history. Water conflicts occur over both surface and groundwater resources, and the majority of these conflicts are between neighboring states or provinces. The most common type of conflict is a dispute between nations, states, or provinces over access to renewable water resources. When one or more parties perceive a threat to their water resources, the likelihood of conflict increases. Conflict over water can also involve non-state actors, such as companies or communities. Many conflicts also involve control of territory that contains water resources, such as river basins or lakeshores. Water scarcity is a common factor in many water conflicts, and can lead to disputes over equitable allocation of this limited resource. Disputes can also arise over water quality, which can be affected by pollution or other human activities. Conflicts over water are often associative, involving multiple issues such as territory, economy, or politics, in addition to the water itself.

These include attacks on water systems, disputes over access to water, and the use of water as a weapon of war. According to the study, there were conflicts last year involving access to water in every major region around the world. The institute’s senior researcher Morgan Shimabuku said there have been a “significant number” of such events in Ukraine, because of the ongoing conflict with Russia. Shimabuku added there were also 25 water-related incidents in India last year, compared to 10 in 2022. She said there has also been a large increase in the number of incidents in Latin America, which are associated with disputes with control or access to water. And there was an increase in South Africa, where there were 16 events in 2023, compared to five in 2022. The report reflects the growing pressure from all sides over access to water, whether it is from climate change, armed conflicts or increasing demand. In terms of climate change impacts, Gleick said the report highlights examples of where extreme droughts are spurring violent incidents in countries like India. The Pacific Institute report also highlights how agreements over water sharing and joint management can help resolve transboundary conflicts, such as those along the Tigris/Euphrates rivers.

The Pacific Institute recently updated its Water Conflict Chronology—a database of water-conflict events that began to take form in the 1980s. The recent updates include the addition of 300 new entries to the database, highlighting the alarming rise of water-related conflicts in the last few years. Water Conflict Chronology organizes conflicts related to water under three categories: trigger, casualty, or weapon of violence. The most recent data indicates a rise in the weaponization of water amid escalating conflicts and war, where critical infrastructure has been attacked, destabilized, and even polluted, leading to catastrophic impacts on already vulnerable states. The most prominent example is the increase in violence over water amid escalating tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Persistent and targeted attacks by Israel on critical water infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank have amounted to more than 90 occasions resulting in severe impacts, and add up to almost a quarter of all water-related violence in 2023. Due to the consequent contamination, a staggering 97% of the water in Gaza remains undrinkable, contributing to an ongoing public health crisis. The impacts of climate change and rising demand driven by growing populations across the globe have also exacerbated water-related conflicts in politically fragile regions. For instance, in Iraq, water insecurity stems from both extreme weather and the country’s longstanding Tigris-Euphrates River disputes with Syria and Turkey. Yet, despite the growing number of transboundary water conflicts, intra-state or subnational conflicts occur with an even higher frequency. In India, violent social conflicts have emerged between police officials of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states over disputes on the release of Krishna River water. Sub-Saharan Africa has seen farmers and pastoralists clash over access to water and land across the region, allowing militant groups like Boko Haram opportunities to attack fishing communities and exploit long-standing water disputes.