… These are some of the 347 water-related conflicts that researchers have documented during 2023, a year that saw violence over water increase dramatically worldwide. The number of incidents reached a new record last year, far surpassing the 231 conflicts recorded in 2022 and continuing a rising trend that has persisted over the last decade. The newly updated data compiled by researchers at the Pacific Institute, a global water think tank, show that water-related disputes — ranging from quarrels over water sources to protests over lack of clean water — have erupted into violence with alarming frequency, and that water systems have increasingly been targeted in conflicts. “The rise is very dramatic and disturbing,” said Peter Gleick, Pacific Institute co-founder and senior fellow.