The driving force behind conflicts over water worldwide is not scarcity or overpopulation, but unilateral attempts - usually by a regional power - to construct a large dam or other development project without working cooperatively with other nations.
Talk that water scarcity will fuel "water wars" is common. The United Nations and U.S. National Intelligence Council, among others, have argued that water scarcity and increased demand for fresh water caused by population growth are the main contributors to cross-border conflicts over water.