Water-Related Conflicts Surge, Threatening Global Security in 2026

The 2026 World Water Week conference opened on Sunday in Stockholm, Sweden, and online, under the theme “Water for People and Progress.” The annual event, organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), emphasizes the escalating global water security challenges.

According to the Pacific Institute, a US-based non-profit think tank, 2024 saw 420 water-related conflicts – a record high, up 78% from 235 incidents in 2022. This trend is driven mainly by attacks on water infrastructure and disputes over water access, particularly in regions with prolonged conflicts.

Causes of Water-Related Conflicts

For over three decades, the Pacific Institute has tracked global water conflicts through its Water Conflict Chronology, classifying each incident by the role water plays – as a victim, a catalyst, or a weapon.

Water as a victim: Water infrastructure such as dams, pipelines, wells, and treatment plants is damaged or destroyed during conflicts, either intentionally or as collateral damage. In 2024, 55% of water-related conflicts fell into this category.

Water as a catalyst: Water scarcity, unequal access, or resource disputes lead to violence, often involving communities, farmers, herders, or armed groups. 28% of incidents in 2024 were classified under this category.

Water as a weapon: Water is deliberately manipulated to harm or pressure adversaries, including cutting supplies, contaminating sources, causing floods, or controlling access. Only 2% of incidents in 2024 were classified this way, but they highlight the growing link between water stress, climate pressure, and conflict.

Water Conflict Hotspots in 2026

Palestine: According to UNICEF, in Gaza, 1.9 million of the total 2.1 million people remain displaced, with about 90% of water and sanitation infrastructure damaged or destroyed by Israeli attacks. Up to 70% of the population cannot access the minimum 6 liters of water per day for drinking and cooking; 90% of households face moderate to high water insecurity. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reports water prices have surged by up to 500%. In the West Bank, settler attacks and Israeli demolitions have damaged water infrastructure, such as the vandalism of the Ein Samiya well east of Ramallah, cutting water to about 100,000 people.

Sudan: The fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023 has displaced around 12 million people and created a humanitarian crisis affecting over 30 million. A report by the Geneva Academy documents attacks on water infrastructure, including reservoirs, treatment plants, and distribution networks, especially in Darfur. The collapse of water and sanitation systems has triggered cholera outbreaks and worsened food insecurity, with famine risk rising in Darfur, Kordofan, and the Blue Nile region.

Iran: US and Israeli airstrikes since February 28 are believed to have damaged desalination plants and reservoirs on Qeshm Island and in Hormozgan province, disrupting water supplies for tens of thousands of people. The crisis comes amid Iran’s severely depleted water reserves, with some reservoirs down to 92% capacity, and water levels in Mashhad – the second-largest city with about 4 million residents – below 3%.

Gulf Region: The war in Iran has exposed the fragility of critical water infrastructure in the world’s most water-scarce region. Desalinated seawater provides approximately 90% of drinking water in Kuwait, 86% in Oman, 70% in Saudi Arabia, over 90% in Bahrain, and 99% in Qatar. Desalination plants in Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, and Iran have been damaged during the war, although impacts on water supply have been reported as limited.

Ukraine: The war with Russia has severely damaged water and energy infrastructure. UNICEF says 4.3 million people received clean water support last year, and 12.7 million need humanitarian assistance. Attacks have reduced electricity output by 70%, disrupting water and heating systems. In Kherson, recent attacks have cut water to entire residential areas. The Kakhovka Dam disaster in June 2023 affected over 100,000 people, and about 10 million people currently lack access to clean water.