Water Power And Politics In The Middle East

"This original analysis of the Middle East water problems highlights questions and issues which have so far only received minimal attention. The author develops a multi-layered account of the nature and causes of the conflict and the Pealestinian water crisis. Each chapter addresses a particular aspect of the Israeli-Palestine water conflict and the author uses these to illustrate both the broader nature of Israeli-Palestinian relations and factors that the existing water literature underplays or simply gets wrong. The book should interest students, scholars and practitioners in a wide range of disciplines including Middle East studies, politics and international relations, water policy, geography, environmental studies and environmental management."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

This original analysis of the Middle East water problems highlights questions and issues which have so far only received minimal attention. The author develops a multi-layered account of the nature and causes of the conflict and the Pealestinian water crisis. Each chapter addresses a particular aspect of the Israeli-Palestine water conflict and the author uses these to illustrate both the broader nature of Israeli-Palestinian relations and factors that the existing water literature underplays or simply gets wrong. The book should interest students, scholars and practitioners in a wide range of disciplines including Middle East studies, politics and international relations, water policy, geography, environmental studies and environmental management.

Why do states in arid regions fail to co-operate in sharing water resources when co-operation would appear to be in their mutual interest? Through in-depth analysis of the history and current status of the dispute over the Jordan River basin, Miriam Lowi explores the answers to these critical questions.

Power and Water in the Middle East' provides a powerful new perspective on the Palestinian-Israeli water conflict. Adopting a new approach to understanding water conflict - hydro-hegemony - the author shows the conflict to be much more deeply entrenched than previously thought and reveals how existing tactics to control water are leading away from peace and towards continued domination and a squandering of this vital resource.Existing approaches tend to play down the negative effects of non-violent water conflict, and what is presented as co-operation between countries often hides an underlying state of conflict between them. The new analytical framework of hydro-hegemony exposes the hidden dynamics of water conflict around the world and yields critical insights in to the Middle East water problem. This important work will interest researchers, professionals and policy makers involved with the politics of the Middle East and with water conflict more generally. 'a compelling story of state-building, inter-state competition, and the central role that water plays in state development' - Water Alternatives 'washes away another colourful colonial myth and reveals a history of squandered resources, domestic injustice, and regional belligerence... Zeitoun's meticulous investigation of the conflict over water in the region is a convincing read ... it remains essential reading for anybody working on resource management through government ministries, national agencies, and NGOs in the region.' - Arab Studies Journal

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.

The Middle East is a region of international concern and political unrest. This book forms a complete reference to both the hydrological as well as the social, economic, political and legal issues in the region and shows how water shortages threaten the renewal of military conflicts and disruption in the area. With resources over-extended due to natural and human causes, the book analyses the river basins of the Euphrates, Tigris, Nile and Jordan and provides detailed study of the hydrology, hydrography and geography of these river basins; it also analyses the needs of the economies and societies of the countries bordering these basins. Conclusions on likely areas of conflict are set within the legal framework of the Helsinki and International Law Commission Rules.

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.