Water Security

Competing demands for freshwater play out between sectors and regions within the same country, and between nations that vie for access to the water on which their entire economies—agriculture, energy, and industry—rely. This webpage is the library for all content on water security by scholars across CSIS. The CSIS Project on Water Security webpage present comprehensive policy solutions to the challenges water insecurity poses to U.S. geopolitical and economic interests, with a special focus on global food security, produced by the CSIS Global Food and Water Security Program. The Water and the Future of the Middle East project webpage houses the Middle East Program’s work to energize the policy environment around the issue of water insecurity in the region and provide constructive recommendations for necessary transformation.

A woman carries water in front of a surreal desert sunset

Created by Sarah Grace with footage from Getty and Storyblocks

Troubling Waters: Understanding Global Water Security

As the ramifications of the global water crisis grow in scope and severity, understanding the manifold and devastating consequences of water insecurity—in all its forms—is increasingly critical to safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of billions around the world.

Digital Report by Zane Swanson and Sarah Grace — February 12, 2024

See all analysis on Water Security

Featured Event

Living the Global Water Crisis

Presented by Global Food and Water Security Program
March 22, 2024 • 12:00 – 12:30 pm EDT

Latest Podcasts

See all podcasts on Water Security

Featured Program

Photo: GUILLAUME SOUVANT/AFP/Getty Images

Global Food and Water Security Program

Leading research, analysis, and policy recommendations to improve global food and water security.

View Program

Past Events

See all events on Water Security

Related Programs

Experts

Caitlin Welsh

Caitlin Welsh

Director, Global Food and Water Security Program
Katherine E. Bliss

Katherine E. Bliss

Senior Fellow and Director, Immunizations and Health Systems Resilience, Global Health Policy Center
David Michel

David Michel

Senior Fellow, Global Food and Water Security Program
Jon B. Alterman

Zane Swanson

Deputy Director, Global Food and Water Security Program

All Water Security Content

Filter by

1 - 10 of 62 results
Hidden Depths

Water as a driver of conflict 

David Michel examines water as a contributing driver of conflict in Myanmar and the Sahel before looking ahead to the future of water governance under increasing socio-economic and environmental pressures.

Podcast Episode by David Michel — March 24, 2025

Photo: CSIS
Hidden Depths

New forms of water conflict 

David Michel looks at attacks on water by terrorist groups and examines how digitalization creates cybersecurity vulnerabilities for the water sector and everything that depends on it.

Podcast Episode by David Michel — March 24, 2025

Photo: CSIS

Navigating Waters

As India navigates mounting water challenges, a strategic partnership with the U.S. presents a pivotal opportunity to drive innovation, investment, and long-term security. This paper examines the evolving landscape of bilateral cooperation in shaping India’s water future.

Report by Bhawna Prakash and Abhinav Subramaniam — March 17, 2025

Hidden Depths

Water as a Weapon and Victim of Conflict

In water-scarce regions, water is more than just a resource; it is a lifeline. But in conflict-affected regions around the world, opposing parties are deliberately targeting water supplies—destroying water infrastructure or seizing and controlling water systems to weaken opponents and exert power over populations.

Podcast Episode by David Michel — March 10, 2025

Photo: CSIS
Hidden Depths

Introduction: Water Conflict and Cooperation

In June 2023, Russian troops deliberately destroyed the Kakhovka dam in southeast Ukraine, highlighting an alarming trend: Water resources are facing increasing pressure from armed violence worldwide.

Podcast Episode by David Michel — March 10, 2025

Photo: CSIS
Hidden Depths

Introducing Hidden Depths

Introducing Hidden Depths, a six-part narrative podcast miniseries exploring the dynamics of water conflict and the possibilities for water cooperation. Join us as we dive into the shared future of this most critical resource.

Podcast Episode by David Michel — February 27, 2025

Photo: CSIS
The Truth of the Matter

Transatlantic Tensions at the Munich Security Conference

CSIS’s Steve Morrison and Caitlin Welsh discuss the fallout from VP JD Vance's Munich speech and its impact on NATO and U.S.-European relations. They also explore European unity on food security, climate change, and health, and the broader effects on global stability.

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz, J. Stephen Morrison, and Caitlin Welsh — February 26, 2025

CSIS the truth of the matter