The Role Of Water Security In The Jordan River Basin

Using named examples, assess the potential for water supply to become a source of conflict. (15)

For starters, countries have power over certain waterways which can lead to conflict and tension within countries. In Document 3, we see the act of hydropolitics as many countries fight over the drainage basins they have to share. The Middle East and North Africa regions are most prevalent in this conflict

The two most important resources in this region are oil and water. The huge oil “deposits there and in the neighboring countries around the Persian Gulf (the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain) established these countries as some of the richest in the world” (Document F). Nevertheless, the countries who do not have as much access to oil are weak economically. Oil is the biggest export in the Middle East, and in a way, the amount of oil a country has determines how wealthy that country will be. Another component of oil is that countries and ethnic groups are disputing for the control of prices of this economic resource. It has gone to the far extent of foreign countries attempting to control the oil price and also the use of weapons for this (Document E). In addition, it is impossible for each country to have equal access to water due to the unbalanced distribution of these essential resources. As a result of this, these countries are fighting for as much control of water sources they can get. Radically, there are many countries in the Middle East that are striving to obtain as many natural resources to strengthen their economy and lifestyle, and it seems most obvious that the scarcity of these resources is a significant problem in the region

The US can be a leader in the fight for water equality by formally declaring water a human right. The US is in a unique position, because we have already done so much to aid people in water-stressed regions. This experience will be invaluable in escalating our efforts to secure the natural human right to clean and sustainable water for our allies in Sub-Saharan Africa. We can dedicate our vast resources and capable personnel in innovative and strategic ways to this most noble of all causes to bring prosperity abroad and secure it for posterity at home.

The goal of this paper is intended to provide the legal, political, social, economic, ecological dimensions of water resource policy

Q1. Briefly describe the complexity of international water use, using the Rhine River or the Aral Sea as an example.

It all started to change when Turkey started grasping over water resources in the twentieth century. Since Turkey control approximately 80-90% of the rivers’ water flow, they constructed enormous amount of dams to suppress the water at the riverhead from their side. And our neighbor Iran follow Turkey’s lead in constructing dams upstream. As of 2001, there were 32 dams upstream with another 21 were planned, that was not the only reason so far. In 1991, Marsh Arab rebel against the government and contribute in the uprising against the bygone regime, the upraising failed and now the government is coming after those rebellions for punishment. The regime used all available resources and built canals, dams and dykes to sewer these antique marshes and discipline the Marsh Arabs for rebellion’s support. The bygone government did not bother to conceal the drainage project, probably due to the enormous size of the project, which was futile to hide. Instead, exploitation of oil reserves and wash away the salty, over-irrigated farmland was their alleged excuse to execute their wicked plan. The green, lush fields of the Marshlands turned into brown deserts because of the drainage project.

One of the most effective causes of conflicts in the Middle East is to try to get the resource of water. Water is what keeps a human being alive throughout

The lust for territory seems to be the real source of conflict, and until one group is satisfied, the appearance of religious conflict will exist in the Middle East. It seems as if the real truth needs to be portrayed to the rest of the world about the true reason for the Arab-Israeli conflict, which is geography and ultimately water. The lack of water stems from the Great Syrian Rift Zone, and causes damage to Israeli land which ultimately decreases the amount of water that flows into the Red Sea. This lack of water causes Israel and other surrounding countries (Jordan, Lebanon, and the Occupied Territories) to only have one source of surface water, which is from Lake Kinnaret, or the Sea of Galilee that flows into the Jordan River.

Priscoli, J. D. & Wolf, A. T. (2009). Managing and Transforming Water Conflicts: USA: Cambridge University Press.

The ambition of the often autocratic leaders to acquire more land, which may bring them access to oil, water or arable land. The problem according to Sørli et. al is “scarcity” and “abundance” (147). Water is scarce, and oil is in abundance, but the access to both is limited. According to our text, the new “water wars” have emerged as a major source of conflict, in addition to the “oil wars” (Anderson et. al, 226). Water is scarce in the Middle East, and will continue to dwindle as the population rises. Not every country has the same access to the water sources, which will naturally cause problems. For example, Israel has control of the Golan, and Egypt of the Nile, and Kuwait of the Persian Gulf. Oil is in abundance, but only to a limited number of countries in the Middle East causing great economic disparity between those who have, and those who do not. Kuwait, having access to the Persian Gulf, produces a large supply of oil to international players. Given its high value internationally, and its worth, oil is much sought after.

The problem of water scarcity in the naturally arid region is compounded by inefficient usage and distribution and the Israeli government’s uncompromising stance on water policy, leading to a decreased standard of life for the marginalized communities in the occupied territories. Regardless of ongoing political strife and hostilities, it is important to acknowledge that water is a basic universal human right necessary to the life of every being. Even within a land as bitterly divided as Israel and occupied Palestine, the priority should still be focused on addressing immediate humanitarian needs for the entirety of the population by equalizing sustainable water usage. The following paper presents an analysis of the ongoing humanitarian crisis that has arisen out of inequitable water allocation: outlining environmental and diplomatic climates in Israel/OPT, evaluating how much of the issue was imposed by nature and how much was created by governance, addressing how human lives are impacted and harmed by insufficient water supply, and emphasize that water should act as a startpoint for cooperation rather than additional fuel for

Water is the main source of life on the Earth. It is vital for normal existence and functioning of organisms. Earth is sometimes called “water planet.” But, in fact, the number of freshwater is limited. “Only about 2 percent of the planet's water is fresh.” (How much water is there on Earth?) This water is not enough even to meet daily needs of mankind. According to World Health Organization, “a lack of water to meet daily needs is a reality today for one in three people around the world.” (2009) In the Middle East the situation is especially hard. This region is thought to be one of the droughtiest places in the world, most of it’s territory is deserted. Freshwater accounts to 1 percent of the world’s supplies, while the population comes

As the Syrian conflict moves into its sixth year, hopes for economic stability remain unclear in the Hashemite Kingdom. “Since the start of the violence in 2011, over 600,000 Syrians have sought refuge in Jordan. Over three quarters of these refugees live in overcrowded accommodations, while more than 150,000 Syrians live in refugee camps”(Oxfam Policy-International, 2013). The overwhelming increase in population, as a result of the Syrian crisis, has placed a major strain on Jordan’s economic infrastructure, specifically through the region’s production of freshwater resources. According to the United Nations Inter-Agency on Water (UNIA), Jordan is ranked one of the ten water-depressed countries in the world. The growth in Syrian population has increased this strain, with UN estimates revealing that it may take weeks before a single drop reaches a local tap. The crisis has led both the Jordanian community and Syrian refugees to seek solutions, which has led to extracting groundwater from unkempt and polluted areas. This result has brought forth an increase in diseases and greater rise in mortality rates.

One of the most important yet under-appreciated conflicts in the Middle East is over water resources along the Jordan River. As population and demand for water in the riparian states of Israel, Jordan, Palestine, and Syria have sky-rocketed, water scarcity in the desert region has reached crisis proportions. In response, leaders on all sides have entered into a dialogue, known as "hydro-politics," that has been characterized by an unyielding attitude of political conservatism set against an understanding that regional cooperation is the riparians' surest salvation. The answer lies in a combination of hydro-diplomacy and technology. With the aid of countries and NGOs outside of the regions,