War and Water - Coping with Conflict-induced Water Shortage

This project analyzes how post-war societies are shaped through water scarcity inflicted by war. Safely managing water is key for livelihoods, energy production and sustainable development. Over the last century, global water use has increased sixfold and will further increase for the foreseeable future. Yet, over 2 billion people remain without safe drinking water, 4.2 billion lack basic access to sanitation, and climate change threatens sustainable water access in many regions.

These issues are further compounded by ongoing wars with drastic consequences for water availability. While we know much about the benefits of safe water to societies in general, there is less systematic research on the impact of war on water access, particularly in regard to long-term societal impact.

This project targets two related research questions: What are short- and long-term consequences for societies facing water scarcity after war? How do climate extremes affect post-war access to water services? The project investigates this by analyzing subnational water access along with indicators for development and peacebuilding. Spatial analyis will combine information on water access with data on previous armed conflict, health, socio-economic status, and climate extremes.

The project will provide country-disaggregated cross-case comparisons which are largely missing in the literature. Providing disaggregated findings also supports policy decisions to provide water where it is needed the most.