The United Nations World Water Development Report 2024, published by Unesco on behalf of UN-Water, emphasizes that tensions over water are escalating conflicts globally. It calls for enhanced international cooperation and transboundary agreements to maintain peace.
According to the report, 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water and 3.5 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation. The UN goal of ensuring access for all by 2030 is far from being achieved, with concerns that inequalities may worsen.
Between 2002 and 2021, droughts impacted over 1.4 billion people, while half of the global population faced severe water scarcity. Climate change is expected to exacerbate these challenges, posing risks to social stability and livelihoods.
Water scarcity disproportionately affects women and girls, who often bear the burden of collecting water in rural areas. This task can hinder their education, economic participation, and safety, contributing to higher dropout rates among girls compared to boys.
The lack of water security is also identified as a driver of migration and conflict. Displacement due to water insecurity can strain resources in settlement areas, leading to social tensions. In regions like the Sahel, tensions over access to water and land have escalated due to wetland degradation.
Transboundary water resources are crucial, as 40% of the world’s population lives in shared river basins. However, only a fifth of countries have agreements to manage these resources collaboratively. This lack of cooperation exacerbates conflicts and undermines potential for peace in regions like Africa and the Arab world.
In Africa, where 19 out of 22 states face water scarcity, only a few transboundary aquifers have formal cooperation agreements. The report warns that the failure to address water-related conflicts can have wide-ranging implications on infrastructure, water supply, and regional cooperation.
