Water-related conflicts are rising sharply around the world, with wars, attacks on critical infrastructure and growing water shortages placing millions of people at risk.
According to the Pacific Institute, 420 water-related conflicts were recorded in 2024, the highest number on record and a 78 percent increase from 235 incidents in 2022.
The conflicts generally fall into three categories: water infrastructure being damaged during fighting, disputes over scarce or unequal access to water, and the deliberate use of water as a weapon.
Gaza
Gaza remains one of the most severe water crises. About 1.9 million of its 2.1 million people are displaced, while roughly 90 percent of water and sanitation infrastructure has reportedly been damaged or destroyed.
Up to 70 percent of residents are unable to obtain the minimum six litres of water per person needed daily for drinking and cooking. Water prices have also reportedly increased by as much as 500 percent, worsening the humanitarian situation.
Sudan
Sudan's ongoing war has displaced millions and severely damaged water and sanitation systems, particularly in Darfur.
Damage to reservoirs, treatment facilities and distribution networks has contributed to disease outbreaks, including cholera, while worsening food insecurity and famine risks in several regions.
Iran
Iran's water system is under additional pressure from years of drought, low rainfall, depleted groundwater and heavy agricultural demand.
Recent US and Israeli strikes reportedly damaged desalination facilities and reservoirs, disrupting supplies in parts of the country. Some reservoirs were already critically depleted before the attacks.
Gulf Region
Gulf countries remain highly dependent on desalination because of their limited natural water resources. Desalination provides about 90 percent of drinking water in Kuwait, 86 percent in Oman, 70 percent in Saudi Arabia and almost all drinking water in Qatar.
Damage to desalination facilities in several Gulf countries during the war highlighted the vulnerability of the region's water supply systems.
Ukraine.
Ukraine's water crisis has also worsened as the war with Russia continues to damage electricity and water infrastructure.
UNICEF estimates that millions of Ukrainians require humanitarian assistance, while attacks on energy infrastructure have disrupted water and heating services. The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in 2023 also had a major impact on water supplies.
The growing number of water-related conflicts highlights how war, climate pressures, infrastructure damage and competition for scarce resources are increasingly interconnected, making water security a major global security and humanitarian concern.
.jpeg)
.jpeg "Sunayen kofofin aljanna guda takwas 8")
0 Comment about the Post: