The prospect of water wars is a long-running and active debate, with everyone from high-ranking U.N. officials to renowned hydro-politics experts voicing their concern about the perceived risks.

Growing competition for water in already arid areas, alongside the compounding effect of climate change, has led to a flurry of water-related headlines in recent months.

Francis Galgano, an associate professor at the department of geography and the environment at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, identified nine international river basins as potential flashpoints.