The aim of this study is to provide some innovative technological answers to the fundamental questions of how to sustain the water supply - now and for the future. The author evaluates several non-conventional approaches that have the potential to resolve this persistent problem, and thus contribute towards peace among the water users in the Middle East.
The volume serves as an important mile-stone in the process called "second track" dialogue and cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian academics on crucial shared problems, the resolution of which is vital to the peace process. The book contains forty-one original papers dealing with almost all aspects of the Middle-Eastern water problems, and should serve as a useful reference to students, scholars and policy makers all over the world interested in understanding the complexities of the Middle-Eastern water conflicts.
This book proposes practical and objective solutions to the entrenched water conflicts in the Middle East. The author reveals and clarifies the complexity of the water conflicts, drawing on years of experience facilitating and chairing water negotiations in the region. The bottom line is: Unless the countries involved co-operate, the consequences will be devastating. The lack of plentiful and clean water for the people will not only result in severe human suffering, but could also have grave geopolitical consequences. The book covers four critical areas: the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, where new documentation reveals alarming trends; the politically sensitive Golan Heights, with its water disputed by Israel and Syria; the Hasbani water dispute between Lebanon and Israel; the longstanding water resource dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians
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'.
The fonner Egyptian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and fonner UN Secre tary General, Butros Butros Ghali stated after the second Gulf War "The next war in the Middle East will not be fought for oil, but for water. " This famous statement has been echoed by many politicians: shortly before be coming president of Turkey, SOleyman Demirel declared that the waters of the Euphrates and Tigris belonged to Turkey, just as oil belongs to the Arabs. Rafael Eytan, at that time and now again Israeli Minister of Agriculture, declared in 1990 in full-page advertisements in the Jerusalem Post that Israel would never cede the West Bank to the Palestinians because Israel's water supply would otherwise be endangered. Finally, Ismail Serageldin, vice president of the World Bank, declared in 1995 that "the wars of the next century will be over water". These statements are typical of the atmosphere reigning in the Middle East and in several other places around the world concerning the issue of international fresh water resources. Whether these perceptions correspond to an actual threat to a nation's water supply or whether they correspond to the official position of states in negotiations often conducted secretly, is an entirely different matter. A closer analysis of the issue of international fresh water resources, as we attempt in this book, admittedly reveals a dangerous potential for conflict over water.
Is there enough water on this planet for a global population that will shortly double its present size? The answer is of huge importance for people everywhere, but particularly to the peoples and political leaders of the Middle East and North Africa. Already, the region's economies are as dependant on water from outside the region as they are on the renewable waters of the region. They will be much more dependant in the future. Professor Allan's important new book aims to remove much of the confusion surrounding the issue of water in the Middle East. As well as explaining the particular issues of conflict in the region, he argues that the answer to these problems lies at the global rather than local level. The national water policies of the region (political as well as economic) can only be properly understood at an international level. And it is from this vantage point that solutions - from rendering water globally available to addressing the environmental isses to do with its use - must be found. _The Middle East Water Question_ is a major book by one of the world's leading authorities on water issues - the product of a decade of involvement with officials, professionals, Middle East and North African governments and international agencies such as the World Bank and FAO.
This volume brings together diverse voices relating to the critical issue of water management in one of the world’s most politically volatile areas: the Middle East. The book collects the opinions of Palestinians, Israelis, Jordanians as well as international experts on creating a holistic and comprehensive view of water management challenges and strategies in the Middle East.
Managing Water Demand provides a comprehensive account of the tools used to manage water demand in the MENA region. The vast arid and semi-arid regions of the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) constitute 85% of the region's land area and are home to approximately 60% of the region's population. Limited water resources pose severe constraints on people's economic and social progress, testing their resilience and threatening their livelihoods. Rainfall is not only scarce and unpredictable, but the region is also subject to frequent and severe droughts. Available surface water is declining and the over-pumping of groundwater beyond natural recharge rates is occurring, lowering the water table and causing an increase in groundwater salinity and ecological degradation. Water Demand Management (WDM) is about governance and tools that motivate people and their activities to regulate the amount and manner in which they access, use and dispose of water to alleviate pressure on freshwater supplies. It is also about protecting water quality. The development and promotion of such WDM practices, primarily for governments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, have constituted the core objectives supported by Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and its partners through the Water Demand Management Forums. Managing Water Demand provides a comprehensive account of the tools used to manage water demand in the MENA region. A critical review is presented of the efficacy of WDM techniques in the areas of wastewater reuse, water valuation, public-private partnerships and decentralization, and participatory irrigation management. This book will provide some of the necessary knowledge required to further promote WDM in the MENA region, while providing insight into the work required for much needed change to improve water governance.
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.
