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Tensions Rise As Iranian Dams Cut Off Iraqi Water Supplies
August 18th, 2021
Via Deutsche Welle, an article on how drought in Iran is sparking protests, but its strategy of building dams to conserve water has devastating consequences across the border in Iraq: Alqod Mahmoud stands on the bank of the Diyala River, staring helplessly into the stagnant pond where deep waters once swelled. Diyala means “shouting river” […]
Read more »Iran’s Decision-Makers To Blame For Its Water Crisis
August 8th, 2021
Via The Guardian, an article on how Iran’s decision-makers must shoulder the blame for its water crisis: Iran’s water bankruptcy has been in the news lately, prompting deadly protests in Khuzestan province that also garnered the attention of global media. But this kind of problem is neither new or unique in the country. Drying rivers, vanishing lakes, shrinking wetlands, declining groundwater levels, […]
Read more »Middle East and North Africa: Dry and Disorderly
August 8th, 2021
Courtesy of The Economist, an article on the parched countries of the Middle East and North Africa: In the neighbourhood of Algiers where the presidential palace and foreign embassies are located, some think the water pressure has increased of late. But don’t tell those living in the suburbs of Algeria’s capital, where the taps have […]
Read more »What’s Causing Iran’s Water Shortages?
August 2nd, 2021
Via the BBC, a look at what is causing Iran’s water shortages: Protests in Iran against a range of grievances – including a severe lack of water and power blackouts – have drawn attention to the country’s wider water problems. Experts have raised concerns about the situation for many years, so what’s to blame for […]
Read more »Iran Facing ‘Water Bankruptcy’
July 29th, 2021
Via Thomson Reuters Foundation, a look at how poor rainfall in Iran this year highlights challenges in providing enough water and energy, adapting to a hotter climate and preventing mass migration: * Drought leaves many Iranians without water, power * Climate change and poor policies behind shortages * Lack of action could drive migration from […]
Read more »Water Disputes Compound Instability In The Middle East
July 28th, 2021
Via the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, an article on the impact of water scarcity in the Middle East: The Middle East is one of the driest regions in the world. The scarcity of water has often been touted as a source of national and interstate disputes in the area. Some scholars have predicted for some […]
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