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The Looming Climate and Water Crisis in the Middle East and North Africa
March 9th, 2026
Via Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a look at why addressing MENA’s water scarcity and improving water management will be immensely important for ensuring the region’s stability, sustainability, and well-being in the face of a changing climate: Introduction The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is naturally prone to being hot and dry, in […]
Read more »New Iraqi Leadership Confronts Water Shortage and Economic Strain
November 20th, 2025
Via OilPrice.com, a report on Iraq’s urgent water crisis: Iraq’s latest election saw a surprisingly high turnout (56%) and a fragmented outcome. The new government faces urgent challenges: a severe water crisis due to drought and upstream dams, weak public finances tied to oil dependence, and delicate relations with both the U.S. and Iran. Balancing […]
Read more »Iraq: One of its Worst Droughts in a Century
August 30th, 2025
Via Al Jazeera, a report on Iraq’s water crisis: Iraq is experiencing its driest year on record since 1933, as the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which flow into the Persian Gulf from West Asia, have seen their levels drop by up to 27 percent due to poor rainfall and upstream water restrictions. In the southern part […]
Read more »Iraq’s Drought: A Climate Warning From The Fertile Crescent
May 7th, 2025
Courtesy of the New York Times, a podcast on Iraq’s water crisis and what it means for the world: As the Middle East braces for another year of extreme heat, climate change is turning the soil to dust in the landscape that has long been known as the fertile crescent — and water has become […]
Read more »The Thirst for Power: Overcoming the Politics of Water in the Middle East
March 10th, 2025
Via CSIS, a new report on the politics of water in the Middle East: The Middle East has battled water insecurity for centuries, but today, the region is on a razor’s edge. Climate change and overuse have threatened water supplies like never before. In a region beset with wars, fragility, and political tensions, it is […]
Read more »Three International Water Conflicts to Watch
November 15th, 2024
Via Geopolitical Monitor, a report on three international water conflicts that bear watching: International water conflicts are a prisoner’s dilemma fundamentally rooted in geopolitics. Neither up nor downriver states can live without it, and water is the lifeblood of development and economic growth. Yet one (upriver) state has a fundamental advantage over the other (downriver) state. […]
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