IntelBrief: Not a Drop to Drink: Water Scarcity Gives Rise to Local Violence, International Disputes

Bottom Line Up Front

• As rising global temperatures destroy lakes, rivers, and glaciers, climate change is depriving vulnerable states of a singularly life-giving resource just as their growing populations demand more water for agriculture and basic survival.
• Although interstate “water wars” have not yet become a reality, competition over dwindling shared water sources has already proven a major diplomatic challenge in the MENA region, as well as Central Asia and the Caribbean.
• Most violence resulting from water scarcity has occurred locally, although tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Nile River remain a significant flashpoint.
• African states like Guinea and Burkina Faso have subdued the violence underlying their own water scarcity with effective conflict resolution systems, while other states have compensated for scarcity with more efficient water management practices.