Water International Journal, Vol 50 2025, Issue 8 article, "Water, conflict, and peace: a decade of developments"

Protection of Water During and After Armed Conflict Science publication

This article examines the evolving relationship between water, conflict, and peace over the past decade. It analyses transboundary disputes, ranging from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to the Helmand River alongside attacks on water infrastructure in Ukraine, Gaza, and Syria, leaving millions without access to safe water. Despite advancements in international legal frameworks to protect water and access to water services, the analysis underscores persistent gaps in implementation and enforcement.

Water International Journal Water Conflict Peace www resource vignette

With the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine in June 2023, catastrophic flooding displaced thousands of people and devastated ecosystems downstream – a stark illustration of water infrastructure’s vulnerability in modern warfare. In Gaza, repeated attacks on water and sanitation facilities have left the civilian population facing acute water insecurity, keeping in sharp focus the humanitarian consequences when water systems collapse during conflict. Simultaneously, along the Nile Basin, the recent entry into force of the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement in October 2024 following South Sudan’s ratification has significantly altered the governance landscape, even as tensions persist between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. These contemporary flashpoints underscore the precarious relationship between water, conflict, and peacebuilding that has evolved dramatically over the past decade.

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