In the 21st century, warfare is no longer just about tanks and missiles. A more hidden but serious threat is emerging: the use of water as a weapon.
Pakistan warns that India’s upstream control of the Indus River is a direct threat to “the lives and livelihoods, as well as food and economic security” of 240 million Pakistanis. Sudden changes in river flows, controversial dams like Kishanganga and Ratle, and refusal to share critical flood and drought data are part of what Pakistan calls hydrological aggression. This is not just a local problem—it reflects a regional trend of upstream countries using water to pressure downstream neighbors.
The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which survived six decades and multiple wars, is now under strain. In April 2025, India declared the treaty in “abeyance,” a move Pakistan calls a violation of Article 26 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. India has also boycotted dispute-resolution processes at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, further undermining the treaty. Pakistan’s National Security Committee has even declared that any diversion of water under these circumstances would count as an “Act of War.”
China’s actions provide a clear precedent. Controlling the headwaters of rivers like the Brahmaputra, Mekong, and Sutlej, China has built massive dams and often withheld water during droughts, affecting millions downstream. Northeastern India faces deep insecurity from the lack of binding treaties or transparent data. Regional powers appear to have internalized the lesson: hydrological dominance is a strategic asset, and treaty obligations are optional.
The international community cannot ignore this. Pakistan has called on the UN Security Council and General Assembly to act. Experts recommend three urgent steps: (1) Restore and fully enforce treaties like the IWT; (2) Establish clear global norms against water weaponization; and (3) Create transparent, multilateral governance for all major shared rivers. As Islamabad warns: “Water is life and cannot be weaponized.” If these warnings go unheeded, access to water could become the ultimate prize in future conflicts—from South Asia to the Nile and Colorado—threatening global peace and human security.
