Water Security

Recent years have seen the frequent invocation of concepts such as water wars and the notion of water being the “new oil” in terms of its geopolitical centrality. Given its essential qualities as the most basic human resource, coupled with the dwindling nature of fresh supplies, water has become a flash point for potential conflict—and thus a fundament of security. Without regular access to clean water, vulnerability is sharply heightened, and security is greatly diminished.

Water is inextricably connected to the production of food and energy as well, leading national and multinational actors to factor control of water resources into their strategies, potentially at the expense of local and regional actors. As such, water has become a central focus of the impetus to attain environmental and ...