Water and Conflict: Historical Perspective

Perhaps the most famous American quote regarding water and conflict is attributed to the writer Mark Twain who stated “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.” What underlies this quote, though, is the reality that most of the real conflict over water that has occurred throughout the ages has been initiated between individuals or small enclaves of individuals and not between sovereign bodies. Rarely have two countries gone to battle over water and, generally, when they have done so they have restricted themselves to attacking the water infrastructure rather than the water itself. Allocation of the resource is the number-one cause of conflict, whether between sovereign nations or individuals. This paper provides a glimpse into the history of water and conflict and provides some insight into how compacts between states that share a resource might reduce future conflict.