Data centres and democratic decline could lead to more water conflict in the future

The Elbe River in Magdeburg, Germany, on Aug. 8, 2026. The river, which flows through the Czech Republic and Germany, saw record-low water levels amid intense droughts and heatwaves across Europe. (Roy Zuo/Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA Transboundary waters — rivers, lakes and aquifers residing in more than one country — are facing challenges due to climate change, with conflicts over these waters increasing. Existing analyses of water conflict usually focus on basins in Africa and Asia, rather…