"In Algeria, water shortages left faucets dry, prompting protesters to riot and set tires ablaze. In Gaza, as people waited for water at a community tap, an Israeli drone fired on them, killing eight. In Ukraine, Russian rockets slammed into the country's largest dam, unleashing a plume of fire over the hydroelectric plant and causing widespread blackouts."
"The year featured a record number of violent incidents over water around the world, far surpassing the 355 in 2023, continuing a steeply rising trend. The violence more than quadrupled in the last five years. In 2024, there were 420 water-related conflicts globally The majority of incidents were in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe. The new data from the Oakland-based water think tank show also that drinking water wells, pipes and dams are increasingly coming under attack."
"The researchers collect information from news reports and other sources and accounts. They classify it into three categories: instances in which water was a trigger of violence, water systems were targeted and water was a "casualty" of violence, for example when shell fragments hit a water tank. Not every case involves injuries or deaths but many do."
420 water-related conflicts occurred globally in 2024, a record surpassing 355 in 2023 and more than quadrupling over five years. The majority of incidents took place in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe, with 138 reported in the Middle East and 66 linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Attacks increasingly targeted drinking water wells, pipes and dams, causing service disruptions and casualties. Notable episodes included riots in Algeria over dry taps, a drone strike that killed eight people waiting at a Gaza water tap, and strikes on Ukraine's largest dam. Incidents include cases where water triggered violence, where systems were targeted, or where water was a casualty.
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