Spring 2016 - 60252 - PA388K - Advanced Topics in Public Policy

Politics of Water Resources in the Middle East

One of the most pressing issues of the 21st century is the management and allocation of limited freshwater resources in the world as they are becoming more and more scarce. The degree of water scarcity and its political, economic as well as social implications is felt much more severely in regions like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Almost every single reason that causes water crises globally is present in the MENA such as unfair access and unequal distribution of already scarce and variable freshwater resources (rivers and groundwater); rapidly growing population; changing levels of economic development; misuses as well as poor water management and allocation practices, and the burgeoning uncertainties coupled with the climate change. Since an important number of these resources in the MENA region are transboundary rivers (Euphrates-Tigris, Orontes, Jordan and the Nile river basins), which cross political boundaries of more than one nation, the complexity of the problem increased as it became an issue at the international level.

This course will address many dimensions of the transboundary water resources management and will analyze evolving water management paradigms.  Introductory part will encompass the reasons for current scarcity of water in the world in general, and in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in particular. The terminology that will be extensively used during the lectures will also be presented (e.g., upstream, riparian, transboundary, river basin, IWRM, equitable, allocation etc.). Secondly, the course is designed to highlight why water plays such an important role in the international relations of the MENA by looking into the past and potential inter-state disputes over water with specific references to the Nile, Jordan and Euphrates-Tigris river basins. The origins and the evolution of the water disputes in these regions; historical overview of water negotiation frameworks, and the initiatives for cooperation will be studied. The course will culminate with the analysis of the possible situations of conflict or cooperation over the use of limited water resources of the MENA. The focus will be set on the ongoing debate among scholars on the issue of utilization of the disputed waters in the region, as well as the likelihood of a conflict that would be a result of the worsening situation of water supply/demand balance as well as unfair distribution of existing scarce resources. In the debate one can delineate basically three groups of scholars whose views can be associated with either of the three influential schools of thought in the International Relations theory such as “realists,” “liberal political economists;” and “institutionalists.” Furthermore, viewpoints of the “radical political economists,” particularly as relates to the flaws and shortcomings of the mainstream realist and liberal approaches, will be examined.