Climate Change and Water Weaponization in the Middle East and Africa

Overuse, population growth and climate change are driving water stress and turning water into a tool for conflict in the Middle East and Africa. Violent Extremists Organizations (VEOs), among others, have seized upon this opportunity to weaponize water. Strategies and tactics for doing so vary widely according to the capabilities and goals of the group that wields it. Using examples from Syria and Iraq, the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, this presentation will elucidate emerging approaches toward and categories of weaponization. Ultimately it will suggest actions national governments and the international community can take discourage further normalization of water weaponization in modern warfare.