Water-related conflict and cooperation events worldwide: A new dataset on historical and change trends with potential drivers

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161555
• Publication Date: 2023-01-16T15:56:55Z
• Authors: Elisie Kåresdotter; Gustav Skoog; Haozhi Pan; Zahra Kalantari
• Keywords: 2. Zero hunger; Drought; Climate Change; 05 social sciences; Human conflict; Water; Water Engineering; 15. Life on land; Hydroclimatic changes; 6. Clean water; Droughts; 0506 political science; Database; 13. Climate action; Africa; Water security; Water Resources; Climate change; Humans; Vattenteknik

Despite strong interest and conflict research spanning multiple disciplines, connections between water flows conflicts remain unclear, due to incomplete datasets on water-related conflict-cooperation events poor understanding of socioeconomic biophysical causes such conflicts. The dataset compiled in this study extends 2019, updating previous that covered only up 2008, yielding important new insights cooperation-conflict trends. Global regional trends were analyzed using the dataset, together with changes hydroclimatic variables population density. analysis revealed cooperation was far more common than across all regions, both drier wetter climates, indicating abundance lack can promote cooperation. However, climates where is scarcer. This balance shifted 2000s, increasing, outnumber 2017. main shift occurred Africa Asia, increased coincided a prolonged period below-average precipitation severe drought, while Asia evapotranspiration caused by human activities Differences regions confirmed event descriptions, relating access farmer-herder conflicts, irrigation dam construction. These differences highlight need for regional-scale pathways. With climate change expected increase, increasing trend could persist, resources becoming frequent cause future conflict. Identifying these complex vital determining actions required reduce water.