![Sample our Politics & International Relations journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5947/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Politics-International-Relations.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Water has been a factor in wars and other violent conflicts for thousands of years. Water can be a trigger of conflict, a casualty of conflict, or a weapon of conflict. In modern times, water-related conflicts appear to be increasing in number, with many of these occurring at the sub-state level, such as between opposing militant groups or between groups with different ethnic and cultural heritages. Action to prevent, mitigate, and recover from these conflicts is possible and available, but insufficiently applied. Investments in the broader effort to create more equitable, sustainable, resilient societies are urgently needed. The good news is that we no longer lack the technological capability to create that world, and action at all levels of society, from the local to the global, will help to foster peace and sustain and protect water resources for everyone.
Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge Peter Gleick and my father-in-law, Maurice Shimabuku, for their review and feedback on early drafts of this article.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Morgan Shimabuku
Morgan Shimabuku is a senior researcher at the Pacific Institute where she investigates water and conflict, water resilience, and the impacts of climate change on frontline communities. She brings her knowledge and passion to work from more than a decade of experience in environmental science, hydrology, and conservation.