Author(s): Yasaman Yousseftabar; Mohammad J. Ostad Mirza Tehrani
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Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: This study examines offensive and defensive water use from ancient civilizations to modern conflicts through historical records, archaeological evidence, and engineering documentation. We identify recurring hydraulic warfare tactics including siege inundation, water supply denial, poisoning, defensive moats, and infrastructure targeting. While technology has evolved, fundamental strategic principles remain consistent across millennia. Five major categories emerge: deliberate flooding, water supply control, defensive hydraulic barriers, dam warfare, and modern water security challenges. Understanding these patterns may provide insights for contemporary water resource management, infrastructure protection, and conflict prevention or resolve amid increasing water scarcity and climate change.
Year: 2026