Water and Violence: Future Shock
Publisher: Blue Peace Bulletin
Date: 2020
Topics: Conflict Causes, Cooperation, Governance, Renewable Resources
In recent years, there has been much talk about the risk of “water wars’. The data on depleting water resources in the context of climate change, economic growth and population growth is provided as a rationale for the anticipation of water wars. In reality, countries with low water availability, such as Singapore, face no conflicts over water, and the countries with relatively high water availability such as Bangladesh and Iraq face serious crisis. This paper demonstrates that during the next 20 to 30 years, there could be risk of wars over water but not simply because of declining water availability. There is a complex relationship between water, wars and peace. It requires nuanced understanding of the issue to assess whether water will propel wars or foster peace between 2020 and 2050.