Managing Water For Peace In The Middle East

The aim of this study is to provide some innovative technological answers to the fundamental questions of how to sustain the water supply - now and for the future. The author evaluates several non-conventional approaches that have the potential to resolve this persistent problem, and thus contribute towards peace among the water users in the Middle East.

Countries are meeting increasing water demand by building reservoirs and by diverting water from one area to another. When the water belongs to an international river system, these measures lead to riparian conflicts. However, water scarcity not only brings conflict to these regions, but also plays its part in building cooperation. In several international river basins in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, competing and disputing riparian countries are now moving towards a co-operative sharing arrangement. The signs of agreements on water sharing may be easy, but the real problem is how to keep these arrangements on track. Such agreements can positively contribute to peace and cooperation by addressing future needs, making sustainable decisions and being progressive in their management. Managing Water Conflict looks at these current stresses and likely future scenarios for this vitally important subject.

The volume serves as an important mile-stone in the process called "second track" dialogue and cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian academics on crucial shared problems, the resolution of which is vital to the peace process. The book contains forty-one original papers dealing with almost all aspects of the Middle-Eastern water problems, and should serve as a useful reference to students, scholars and policy makers all over the world interested in understanding the complexities of the Middle-Eastern water conflicts.

This volume brings together diverse voices relating to the critical issue of water management in one of the world’s most politically volatile areas: the Middle East. The book collects the opinions of Palestinians, Israelis, Jordanians as well as international experts on creating a holistic and comprehensive view of water management challenges and strategies in the Middle East.

This book proposes practical and objective solutions to the entrenched water conflicts in the Middle East. The author reveals and clarifies the complexity of the water conflicts, drawing on years of experience facilitating and chairing water negotiations in the region. The bottom line is: Unless the countries involved co-operate, the consequences will be devastating. The lack of plentiful and clean water for the people will not only result in severe human suffering, but could also have grave geopolitical consequences. The book covers four critical areas: the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, where new documentation reveals alarming trends; the politically sensitive Golan Heights, with its water disputed by Israel and Syria; the Hasbani water dispute between Lebanon and Israel; the longstanding water resource dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians

Water Is The Most Critical Resource For The Long-Term Sustainable Development Of The Middle East. This Book Will Be Of Direct Interest To Anyone Interested In The Management Of International Waters.