Water Shortages Could Trigger Mideast Unrest
20 December 2010
Water from the Nile River basin is the source of ongoing tension between Egypt and some African countries.
In the past, Middle East scholars have often pointed to shared river basins and disputes over underground water rights as causes for potential conflict between nations. That may not be surprising, because 10 of the 15 most water-poor countries in the world are in the region. However, according to a new study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, limited supplies of underground water within national borders of the Middle East pose a more immediate challenge.
Rising tension
"Water is deeply tied in to how all these governments work. Water is a way to reward people. Water is a way to build allegiances and water is a sign that a government can actually do things," says Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at CSIS and author of the new study. "If the water goes away, then, suddenly the whole deal that holds the government together goes away. That is a fundamental problem for these governments and the people who live under them."
Alterman argues that the water problem in the Middle East grew out of the "green revolution" that swept the region between 1980 and 1992. During that period, underground water was heavily used to sustain agriculture, feed the growing populations and irrigate the desert as a form of national pride. He says the depletion of such groundwater resources will have lasting consequences for how Middle Eastern governments function and deal with their citizens.
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