Hidden Depths — Introduction: Water Conflict and Cooperation [Video]
Publisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Author(s): Doug Weir, Iryna Babanina, and Peter Gleick
Date: 2025
Topics: Basic Services, Climate Change, Conflict Causes, Governance, Renewable Resources
Countries: Russian Federation, Ukraine
In June 2023, Russian troops deliberately destroyed the Kakhovka dam in southeast Ukraine, highlighting an alarming trend: Water resources are facing increasing pressure from armed violence worldwide. In the premiere episode of Hidden Depths, host David Michel unpacks the Kakhovka dam as an instance of water weaponization in conflict—and sets out a framework for understanding the concept and features of water conflict more broadly.