Tadesse Kebebew
According to the Water Conflict Chronology from the Pacific Institute, there is an increasing trend of using water as a means or method of warfare in contemporary armed conflicts. Water has been employed both defensively to impede the advance of enemy forces, offensively to target enemy positions, and as strategic targeting for a ‘‘political, social or economic objective’’. Numerous reports have also documented incidental or deliberate destruction of water systems and contamination of water resources during armed conflicts. These conducts have devastating direct and indirect impacts on civilians and the environment.
The direct impact includes damages to water treatment plants, pipelines, and reservoirs, leading to immediate disruptions in water supply. In conflict situations, ‘‘having access to water is increasingly a matter of survival’’. The indirect or reverberating effects extend beyond the immediate impacts and include the spread of waterborne diseases, livelihood disruptions, food insecurity, displacement and environmental degradation.
Moreover, the direct and indirect impacts can accumulate from the successive weakening of resilience due to repeated attacks or protracted armed conflicts. These cumulative impacts also lead to reduced community resilience and complicate post-conflict peacebuilding. Protection of water is therefore essential for restoring peace and stability. More broadly, as protecting water is protecting civilians, understanding and addressing these impacts is crucial.
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