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Water Politics in the Tigris-Euphrates Basin
June 3rd, 2023
Via the Arab Center in Washington DC, a look at water politics in the Tigris-Euphrates Basin: While energy security and the control of oil have long been determining factors for geopolitical conflict in the Middle East, the region’s geopolitics have also, in important ways, been shaped by issues around access to water. Whether along the […]
Read more »Dam-nation: Recent Earthquakes Have Shaken Middle Eastern Confidence In Dams
April 15th, 2023
Via The Economist, a report on how February’s earthquakes have damaged the Middle East’s dams: The Turkish authorities announced on March 30th that 140 dams had been inspected since two earthquakes hit southern Turkey and northern Syria in February. None, they insisted, was seriously damaged. Still, many in the Middle East remain fearful about the […]
Read more »Turkey’s Dams Bring Power and Heartbreak
April 9th, 2023
Via Foreign Policy, a report on the impact of Turkey’s hydropower ambitions: Standing on a hilltop overlooking the vast Kackar mountain range in Turkey’s northeastern Artvin province, residents of Yusufeli are slowly watching their town drown. Each day, the water rises an estimated 3 feet, erasing gardens, graveyards, and streets; then come houses, historical churches, […]
Read more »Erdogan Pledges To Ease Iraq’s Water Shortage
April 7th, 2023
Via Terra Daily, an article on Turkey’s water outreach to Iraq: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged Tuesday to step up the flow of water along the Tigris River to drought-stricken Iraq for one month.Baghdad accuses Ankara of withholding water in dams that choke the Tigris and Euphrates rivers near their point of origin in […]
Read more »Water Scarcity in the Arab World
January 27th, 2023
Via Geopolitical Futures, a report on the Arab World’s water challenges: Many prosperous ancient civilizations in the Arab world had at least one thing in common: an abundance of water. Today, however, the Arab region in West Asia and North Africa could become the most water-scarce area in the world. Demand is rising, driven […]
Read more »Water Wars: The Geopolitics of Resource Conflict in the Middle East
January 24th, 2023
Via Geopolitical Monitor, commentary on the geopolitics of water scarcity in the Middle East: Across the Euphrates lies one of the most precious commodities, not a dark viscous liquid that we formally refer to as Petroleum or a shimmering precious metal such as gold, but rather a translucent substance that is imperative to our lives, […]
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