Pacific Institute Analysis Finds Surge in Reported Water-Related Violence
Global violence over water surged in 2024, with 420 incidents, a 78% increase since 2022 as conflicts increasingly target water systems, access, and infrastructure.
A new analysis by the Pacific Institute reveals a sharp increase in incidents in which water or water infrastructure is involved as a trigger, target, or weapon of violence. According to the institute’s open-source Water Conflict Chronology, 420 events were reported in 2024 — nearly a 20 % rise over 2023 and a 78 % increase compared with 2022. Only 24 such incidents were recorded in the year 2000.
The data indicate that 61 % of the 2024 incidents involved attacks on water infrastructure (such as treatment facilities or pipelines), 34 % involved disputes over access or control, and 5 % involved the deliberate use of water as a weapon.
The findings are drawn from the Water Conflict Chronology, the world’s most comprehensive open-source database on water-related violence. The Chronology now covers more than 2,750 documented incidents worldwide, drawing on news reports, eyewitness accounts and historical data. The latest update (mid-2025) adds over 840 new events.
While incidents are documented across all major regions, the Middle East, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa have seen the highest concentrations. For example, approximately 12 % of 2024 incidents were linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and 16 % to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Recent figures also show a rise in cyber-attacks targeting drinking-water and wastewater systems in the U.S. and UK, and increased violence against environmental defenders protecting freshwater supplies in Latin America.
“Our data show that water systems, freshwater resources and those working to protect them are increasingly subject to violence,” said Morgan Shimabuku, Senior Research Specialist at the Pacific Institute. “Ensuring access to safe and affordable water — and safeguarding civilian water infrastructure — is essential to preventing further escalation.”
Source: Adapted from a press release via Globe Newswire – November 11, 2025.
