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Water Conflicts: From Ancient to Modern Times and in the Future

Author

Listed:
  • Andreas N. Angelakis

    (HAO-Demeter, Agricultural Research Institution of Crete, 71300 Iraklion, Greece
    Union of Water Supply and Sewerage Enterprises, 41222 Larissa, Greece)

  • Mohammad Valipour

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Research Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA)

  • Abdelkader T. Ahmed

    (Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Aswan University, Aswan 81542, Egypt
    Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University, Madinah 42351, Saudi Arabia)

  • Vasileios Tzanakakis

    (Department of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Science, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 71410 Iraklion, Greece)

  • Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis

    (School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece)

  • Jens Krasilnikoff

    (Department of History and Classical Studies, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark)

  • Renato Drusiani

    (Utilitalia, Piazza Cola di Rienzo, 00192 Roma, Italy)

  • Larry Mays

    (School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA)

  • Fatma El Gohary

    (National Research Centre, Water Pollution Research Department, Bohouth Str. Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt)

  • Demetris Koutsoyiannis

    (Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Heroon Polytechneiou 5, 15780 Zographou, Greece)

  • Saifullah Khan

    (Institute of Social Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Punjab 60000, Pakistan)

  • Luigi Joseph Del Giacco

    (Utilitalia Water Department, 00192 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Since prehistoric times, water conflicts have occurred as a result of a wide range of tensions and/or violence, which have rarely taken the form of traditional warfare waged over water resources alone. Instead, water has historically been a (re)source of tension and a factor in conflicts that start for other reasons. In some cases, water was used directly as a weapon through its ability to cause damage through deprivation or erosion or water resources of enemy populations and their armies. However, water conflicts, both past and present, arise for several reasons; including territorial disputes, fight for resources, and strategic advantage. The main reasons of water conflicts are usually delimitation of boundaries, waterlogging (e.g., dams and lakes), diversion of rivers flow, running water, food, and political distresses. In recent decades, the number of human casualties caused by water conflicts is more than that of natural disasters, indicating the importance of emerging trends on water wars in the world. This paper presents arguments, fights, discourses, and conflicts around water from ancient times to the present. This diachronic survey attempts to provide water governance alternatives for the current and future.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas N. Angelakis & Mohammad Valipour & Abdelkader T. Ahmed & Vasileios Tzanakakis & Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis & Jens Krasilnikoff & Renato Drusiani & Larry Mays & Fatma El Gohary & Demetris Kout, 2021. "Water Conflicts: From Ancient to Modern Times and in the Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-31, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:8:p:4237-:d:533925
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    2. Halkos, George E. & Aslanidis, Panagiotis – Stavros C., 2023. "Sustainable energy development in an era of geopolitical multi-crisis. Applying productivity indices within institutional framework," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).

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