Water and Climate as Drivers of Conflict

This session will analyze water and climate as drivers of conflict. First, we aim to investigate the role played by water scarcity and related stresses in driving conflicts, and examine what is known about these dynamics from an on-the-ground perspective, based on the Pacific Institute’s ‘Water Conflict Chronology’. It will Illustrates how historically water scarcity has acted as a risk multiplier, driving tensions, within and between countries. Second, we will depict – geospatially – the global state of water security today, leveraging WRI’s Aqueduct online platform and recent WRI research on water stress, conflict, and migration. Finally, we will focus on solutions, exploring possible responses to the growing water and climate threat to global security.