The Politics Of The Water In The Middle East

Most studies of water scarcity in the Middle East conclude that there is a significant risk of imminent conflict, even warfare, between states in the region. This book demonstrates that the evidence does not support this doom-laden prediction. Indeed, the authors show that although water scarcity has occasionally played a role in disputes in the Middle East, it has much more often promoted co-existence between adversaries. The reasoning behind this hypothesis is that water is too critical to be put at risk by warfare.

This volume explores the role of water in the Middle East's current economic, political and environmental transformations, which are set to continue in the near future. In addition to examining water conflict from within the domestic contexts of Iraq, Yemen and Syria-- all experiencing high levels of instability today--the contributors shed further light on how conflict over water resources has influenced political relations in the region. They interrogate how competition over water resources may precipitate or affect war in the Middle East, and assess whether or how resource vulnerability impacts fragile states and societies in the region and beyond. Water and Conflict in the Middle East is an essential contribution to our understanding of turbulence in this globally significant region.

This book focuses on the impact that emerging water problems in the Middle East will have on U.S. strategic interests in that region. It provides an invaluable study for students of the Middle East as well as for seasoned analysts.

Will the flames of war in the Middle East be fanned or quenched by water? This is the central question addressed by this unusually forthright book. The book provides sobering analyses of Israel's water predicament and of the hydro-political implications for the country, particularly in the light of recent developments in the 'peace process'.

Offers a complete reference to the hydrological as well as social, economic, political and legal issues in the region. It shows how water shortages threaten the renewal of conflict and disruption in the Euphrates, Tigris, Nile and Jordan basins.

This volume presents the latest research related to the current water situation, as well as its significance for the peaceful coexistence of the neighbouring countries. The book focuses on crucial topics: water resources, water protection, water management and water as a source of conflict. Topics such as sewage disposal and soil protection, as well as the transfer of environmental technology are also discussed.

This book investigates how ecology and politics meet in the Middle East and how those interactions connect to the global political economy. Through region-wide analyses and case studies from the Arabian Peninsula, the Gulf of Aden, the Levant and North Africa, the volume highlights the intimate connections of environmental activism, energy infrastructure and illicit commodity trading with the political economies of Central Asia, the Horn of Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The book's nine chapters analyze how the exploitation and representation of the environment have shaped the history of the region--and determined its place in global politics. It argues that how the ecological is understood, instrumentalized and intervened upon is the product of political struggle: deconstructing ideas and practices of environmental change means unravelling claims of authority and legitimacy. This is particularly important in a region frequently seen through the prism of environmental determinism, where ruling elites have imposed authoritarian control as the corollary of 'environmental crisis'. This unique and urgent collection will question much of what we think we know about this pressing issue.

Water is one of the most important and potentially explosive issues in modern Middle East politics. It is an issue arguably far more significant to the region than oil. It has dogged relations between Middle East societies for centuries if not millennia and will continue to do so long after oil has ceased to hold sway. The editors of this book have brought together an impressive team of experts to examine all aspects of the water question. These include international law, shari'a, customs and water rights, international politics, the role of the World Bank, water management, the environment and pollution, commercial issues and investment in water, engineering and technology.