Iraq and Syria have witnessed unprecedented destruction over the past decade, while India and Pakistan have literally been in a state-of-war since 1947.
One element that is common amongst all four nations and many other countries around the world is “Water Crisis”.
Millions of people suffer from limitations in water supplies because of armed conflicts.
The most recent examples of this are Fallujah and Mosul Damson in Iraq and the Tishrin and Tabqa Dams in Syria.
Experts say water has the power to reorder international relations in the current century.
Powerful Driver of Conflict The National Interest has best-described water stress as a precursor to conflict.
“At the sub-national level, water disputes and instability can trigger violent conflicts, particularly in situations of existing social, political or economic fragility.
Water stress acts as an accelerant, increasing the likelihood of conflict.” This is one of the reasons why the world has keenly been watching The Indus Water Treaty between Pakistan and India.
According to Jeff Nesbit’s latest book ‘Pakistan Faces a Water War on the Horizon’, “compounding the over-use and changes inflicted on the arid region from the Earth’s climate system, actions by India to cut off some of the flow of water feeding the Indus has created potential for serious conflict between the two nations.” He further stated that “In India, competition for water has a history of provoking conflict between communities.
Strong Instrument for Peace The United Nations believes that water is a shared resource and can be a strong instrument of peace.