The global politics of water are becoming increasingly fraught as climate change intensifies issues of scarcity, excess, and pollution. In regions like Coquimbo, Chile, where water is already scarce, the situation is exacerbated by theft, as water is stolen from irrigation canals under the cover of night. This has left farmers like Alejandro Meneses struggling to grow crops with only a fraction of the water they are legally entitled to, threatening food production and social stability.
Globally, water challenges can be summarized as “too little, too much, too dirty,” according to Charlie Iceland of the World Resources Institute (WRI). Climate change is expected to worsen these issues, with nearly half of humanity already living under “highly water-stressed conditions” for at least one month each year.
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Addressing these water challenges will require not just technological innovation but a profound shift in political approaches. Collaboration at all levels—local, regional, and international—will be crucial to manage scarce water resources, develop flood defenses, and balance the needs of agriculture, urban populations, and industry. This will necessitate a politics grounded in trust, cooperation, and long-term planning.
However, the rise of populism around the world is making this kind of politics more difficult to achieve. According to a global study by Jens Marquardt and Markus Lederer of the University of Darmstadt, populist leaders often exacerbate divisions, undermine trust in scientific evidence, and dismiss climate policies as elitist agendas. This polarization hampers the collective action needed to address the complex and interrelated challenges posed by water scarcity and climate change, making it harder for societies to adapt to the looming water crisis.
