Water and Peace Initiative

60 percent

of the world’s freshwater flows come from transboundary waters, making shared water management and cooperation critical for resilience and peace.

Source: UN Water

1 in 4 people

globally still lack safely managed drinking water deepening health, equity, and stability risks.

Source: UNICEF, 2025

420 water conflict events

were recorded in 2024 alone, a 20% increase from 2023 and a 78% increase from 2022.

Source: Water Conflict Chronology, Pacific Institute

THE PROBLEM, RIGHT NOW

Around the world, water is increasingly connected to violence, insecurity, and instability.

Water can be a trigger of conflict when scarcity, poor governance, or inequitable access deepen tensions.
Water can be a casualty when water systems are damaged or destroyed.
Water can be used as a weapon when water resources or water systems are used as a tool to cause harm.

The impacts are often felt most deeply by people whose right to water is most at risk, but no person or group is immune. Water-related conflict can threaten public health, disrupt supply chains, destabilize communities, and damage infrastructure that millions depend on.

Understanding these risks is the first step toward preventing them.

THE WATER CONFLICT CHRONOLOGY

At the heart of the Water and Peace Initiative is the Pacific Institute’s Water Conflict Chronology, the most comprehensive open-source database of its kind.

For more than three decades, the Pacific Institute has compiled, curated, and analyzed incidents where water has been a trigger, casualty, or weapon of violence. This evidence base helps researchers, policymakers, journalists, humanitarian and development organizations, and communities better understand where water-related conflict is occurring, how patterns are changing, and what conditions may increase the risk of future conflict.

Explore the Chronology

View the Chronological List

View the Map

The Chronology provides the empirical foundation for deeper analysis, practical insight, and strategies that can help reduce the risk of water-related conflict and support more peaceful and resilient water systems.

“As water crises accelerate today, they trigger systemic stresses that spark conflict, food insecurity, and human migration. Fortunately, the Pacific Institute helps us learn from past and present water conflicts in order to map paths to a more peaceful, stable, equitable water world in the changing climate.”

– J. Carl Ganter
Managing Director, Circle of Blue

OUR APPROACH

The Water and Peace Initiative connects data, research, and partnerships to help move from understanding water-related conflict to reducing it.

Curating the Evidence Base

We maintain and expand the Water Conflict Chronology, compiling cases where water has been a trigger, casualty, or weapon of violent conflict.

Develop Case Studies and Analysis

We develop detailed assessments of regional examples to generate practical insights for dispute resolution, risk reduction, and institutional advances in water sharing and management.

Building Resilience to Conflict

Our work helps to strengthen the resilience of communities and water systems against the risk of water-related conflict.

Expanding Tools and Technology

We leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies to expand data sources and enhance water conflict analysis.

Engaging Partners Across Sectors

We engage governments, businesses, and communities to support better decisions that advance water resilience, cooperation, and peace.

Informing Public Discourse

We translate water conflict data and research into accessible narratives for media, policymakers, and the public to drive a broader understanding of water as a security issue.

FEATURED IN

The Guardian

The Los Angeles Times

Circle of Blue

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

SUPPORT THIS WORK

Support for the Water and Peace Initiative helps the Pacific Institute maintain and strengthen the Water Conflict Chronology, deepen analysis of water-related conflict, identify pathways for prevention and cooperation, and provide decision-makers with the tools they need to act earlier and more effectively.

For more information, contact: