Will Nationalism, Illiberalism, and Climate Change Lead to Water Wars?
Abstract
Recent disputes over rights to transboundary water resources, such as those between India and Pakistan or Egypt and Ethiopia, have prompted predictions that increasing water scarcity as a result of climate change could lead to armed conflict. Nationalist and illiberal governments may be more inclined to assert sovereign rights to resources, rejecting international agreements. But the historical record shows that “water wars” have been rare, and that transboundary bodies of water have occasioned cooperation as well as conflict among states.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Transboundary Water Resource Management
Environmental law and policy
Water Governance and Infrastructure
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Current History
- Volume
- 125
- Issue
- 867
- Pages
- 29–34
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN