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Into the Abyss: Water in Armed Conflicts

on the use of starvation should also be considered a war While the normative process intended to strengthen the
crime in non-international armed conflicts. With Article
8(2)(e)(xiii) which is applicable in non-international armed authority and implementation of IHL continues to be important,
the strategic role of water can be seen both in the growing
conflict, the intentional use of poison is considered a war number of armed conflicts in which the warring parties, mainly
crime, and could be applied in cases in which water sources non-state actors involved in non-international armed conflicts
are poisoned.
nowadays, tend to use water as a weapon. The fact that many
of the conflicts take place in water-stressed areas in the Middle
Recent Developments East and North Africa adds to the strategic importance of water
in the armed conflicts of our time.
The evolution of international law in the past decades, especially
IHL, provides a solid legal framework for water protection as part The conflict in Darfur, Sudan is fueled by rivalries between local
of civilian protection in armed conflicts. With the exception of communities and tribes for access to arable land and water
the 1997 UN International Watercourses Convention, the relevant resources. A number of wells were poisoned in a campaign to
international instruments have also been broadly ratified and intimidate local residents during the conflict. Subsequently,
accepted by states. Additional ratifications are welcome and water issues were integrated into the Darfur Peace Agreement
continue to be called for. of 2006 signed by the Government, the Sudan Liberation
Movement/Army, and the Justice and Equality Movement.
Compliance problems with IHL in contemporary armed conflicts
remain serious, and have been aggravated in several conflicts of During the early phase of armed conflict in Libya, Muammar
our time. Recently a number of international instruments have Gaddafi’s forces reportedly shut down two-thirds of Tripoli’s
sought to strengthen IHL. The resolution on “Strengthening of water resources, creating water shortages for a large part of the
Legal Protection for the Victims of Armed Conflicts” adopted at country’s population.
the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red
Crescent in 2011 is a case in point. The UNEP Assembly adopted In Somalia, Al-Shabaab cut water supplies to liberated cities to
an important resolution on the “Protection of the Environment in demonstrate their continued power and presence in the areas
Areas affected by Armed Conflict” in 2016 (UNEP/EA/Res.15). The they lost to government forces.
1994 ICRC Guidelines for Military Manuals and Instructions on
the Protection of the Environment in Times of Armed Conflict are These examples demonstrate the ruthless use of water as a
relevant to the legal regulation and actual conduct of the armed weapon of war. A systematic practice was developed in the
forces of states. ongoing armed conflicts in Iraq and Syria, in which since 2014,

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