Water-related violence has almost doubled since 2022 and little is being done to understand and address the trend and prevent new and escalating risks, experts have said. There were 419 incidents of water-related violence recorded in 2024, up from 235 in 2022, according to the Pacific Institute. … [Pacific Institute Co-Founder Peter] Gleick said: “The Colorado River and the Rio Grande in the US have become increasingly politically contentious in recent years. There are treaties dating back to 1944 that govern both rivers, requiring the US to deliver Colorado River water to Mexico and Mexico to deliver Rio Grande water to the US. But as border politics ramped up under the Trump administration, these issues became more contentious. Several people were killed in Mexico during a protest at a dam used to deliver water to the US, after farmers objected to the releases.”

Other water conflict news:

• Texas Farm Bureau (Dallas): Valley farmers hopeful amidst U.S., Mexico water agreements