Water or War: Resolving the Middle East Water Crisis
Abstract
The potential for conflict in the Middle East is well known. In the past, arguments have centered on land and oil. The current crisis involving the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq is only the latest example of the confrontations bubbling under the surface over boundary disputes in the region. Unfortunately, boundary disputes are not the only problems facing the peacemakers in this region. Looming on the horizon is a much larger and involved issue: water. The potential for conflict over this critical resource extends beyond the immediate region and includes many additional players -- Turkey, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Libya come readily to mind. Additionally, the time available to overt this pending calamity is running out. In addressing this issue, the author will review the nature of the problems to be resolved in the major water basins in the region. The United States must move now to establish its policy on the issues to be addressed in the region once the Iraq-Kuwait conflict is settled. Water management/sharing must be taken into account as a part of that strategy if the United States is to make any progress in establishing a lasting peace in the area.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 25, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA437589
Entities
People
- Tony J. Buckles
Organizations
- National War College