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‘Weaponizing Water’ in Northeast Syria
September 5th, 2020
Via Crux, commentary on warningss that Turkey is ‘weaponizing water’ in northeast Syria: Parts of Syria’s north where Kurds, Christians and Yazidis have practiced religious freedom in recent years are reportedly again under attack by mainly Turkish military and their allied Syrian Islamist fighters. The Syrian Democratic Council, which oversees the autonomous northeast of Syria, […]
Read more »Iraq Faces Severe Shortages As River Flows Drop
July 18th, 2020
Via The Hour, commentary on the impact of Turkish water projects on regional supplies: Iraq’s minister of water resources says his country will face severe water shortages if agreements are not forged with neighboring Turkey over Ankara’s irrigation and dam projects that have decreased river inflows to Iraq’s parched plains. Descending from the mountains of […]
Read more »Turkish Use of Water As A Weapon To Pressure Kurds
March 18th, 2020
Via Future Directions International, a report on Turkey’s use of water as a weapon to pressure Kurds: There have been concerns that the fragile security situation in parts of north-eastern Syria could be undermined by a lack of water. According to Al-Monitor, Turkey increased its pressure on Kurdish-controlled north-eastern Syria last month, by stopping the Alok […]
Read more »Water Shortage and Unrest In Iraq
November 25th, 2019
Via Global Risk Insights, a report on the link between water shortages, politics, and unrest in Iraq: Around 70% of Iraq’s water comes from sources outside of its territory, predominantly originating in Turkey and Iran. Since 1975, the flow of water from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers from Turkey into Iraq has declined by 80%. Over 80% of Iraq’s current water […]
Read more »War For Water? Iraq, Syria, and Turkey To Fight Next Over Rivers?
July 27th, 2018
Via Newsweek, a look at water tension in the Middle East: The next war in the Middle East could be fought over water as Iraq, Syria and Turkey scramble to assert claims to two vital rivers that run through the region, according to a new report. Nabil al-Samman, a Syrian expert on international waters, made the case for […]
Read more »Catastrophic Drought Threatens Iraq As Dams In Surrounding Countries Cut Off Water To Its Great Rivers
July 4th, 2018
Via The Independent, an article on how – after decades of war – Iraq is in danger of losing the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates as Turkey, Syria and Iran dam its rivers, turning parts of the country into desert: “I once rescued a friend from drowning when he was swept away by the force of […]
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