Lebanon’s severe water crisis stems less from natural scarcity than from years of mismanagement, fragmented governance, and institutional neglect, exacerbated by conflict and climate pressures. As infrastructure deteriorates and unregulated water markets expand, access to water has become costly, unsafe, and deeply unequal, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and refugees while eroding trust in the state. The Bcharreh–Dinniyeh dispute shows how unmanaged resource scarcity can escalate into localized conflict, reflecting a wider national trend. Without a shift toward proactive, inclusive, and transparent water governance, water insecurity risks further fueling social fragmentation and instability.