Geopolitical Implications of Water Scarcity in the Middle East
Keywords:
Water scarcity, Middle East, hydro-politics, transboundary rivers, Nile Basin, Tigris-Euphrates, Jordan River, water diplomacy, geopolitical conflict, regional cooperation, environmental security, hydro-hegemony.Abstract
Abstract
Water scarcity has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges in the Middle East, a region characterized by arid climates, rapid population growth, geopolitical instability, and transboundary water dependencies. “This study investigates the multifaceted geopolitical implications of water scarcity in the region, focusing on how the struggle for limited freshwater resources influences inter-state relations, national security, regional cooperation, and conflict dynamics. The paper adopts a qualitative case study approach, analyzing three critical river basins: the Nile, the Tigris-Euphrates, and the Jordan River. It examines how upstream countries such as Ethiopia and Turkey leverage hydropolitical power through dam construction and water diversion projects, often provoking downstream tensions with nations like Egypt, Iraq, and Syria. In the Jordan River Basin, water scarcity exacerbates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and complicates broader peace negotiations. Drawing upon hydro-hegemony theory, environmental security paradigms, and realist perspectives in international relations, the research identifies patterns of dominance, resistance, and cooperation in regional water politics.
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