MUST

Mirpur University of Science and Technology

Session: 2020 - 2024

Department: International Relations

Submitted by: Mehtab Alam

Roll No.: FA20-BIR-025

Submitted to: Mrs. Aneela Kiran

Subject: Geopolitics

Date: 23-07-2022

Assignment Topic:

Article Review
 Geopolitics of water in the Middle East

I. Introduction
In this article, written by Jan Selby, the author discussed the role of water resources in the politics
of Middle East. The author argues that on one hand the naturalistic school of thought consider
water to be a catalyst of war in next century. While on the other hand, liberal school of thought
see water as source of cooperation and solving conflict. He goes on to refute both these claim
and present his own thesis which states water in Middle East should be seen in terms of political
economy and while water is not of a significance important to start a war, the water scarcities
may lead of inter state conflicts.

II. Summary of the article

This paper provides an overview of the geopolitics of water in the Middle East that rebuts both
of these predominant ‘water wars’ and ‘liberal functionalist’ representations, and presents an
alternative account of the region’s water politics. First, that water problems must be approached
as issues of political economy; second, that, approached in this light, it becomes evident that
water is of only marginal significance within the political economy of the modern Middle East;
third, that water is, in consequence, not especially significant either as a source of inter-state
conflict, or as a source of inter-state co-operation; but fourth, that scarce water supplies are,
nonetheless, an important site and cause of local conflicts in many parts of the Middle East. The
author suggests further that, given the worsening state of economic development within the
contemporary Middle East, local scarcities and local conflict dynamics are more than likely to
further deteriorate. Unfortunately discourse on Middle Eastern water politics is so obsessed with
inter-state hydro-political relations that it fails to recognize the much more pressing issue. In a
Middle East which is increasingly ‘falling behind’ the capitalist core of the world economy, where
economies are dependent and stagnant, and the state seems increasingly incapable of resolving
social ills, the most important water scarcities and conflicts are located within, then between,
states and social formations.
The argument that waters is a crucial factor in Middle Eastern geopolitics misplaced. Such
discourse is less the product of reasoned analysis than of enduring myths and stereotypes. As an
account and explanation of the Middle East’s water problems, however, the water wars and
liberal functionalist thesis are deeply misleading. It is true that there are substitutes for oil but
not for water, and that ‘water’, as the saying goes, ‘is life’. But in the modern capitalist world,
economies are curiously more dependent on oil than they are on water. Oil can be used to make
water, while water cannot be used to make oil. Short-term demand for oil in developed
economies is much less elastic than is demand for water: a country like Israel, for instance, can
respond to drought conditions by cutting water consumption by a third, with negligible economic
or social repercussions—but the same could never be achieved of oil. Moreover, oil is much more
important than water as a source of profits, revenues and power. Thus, contrary to the claims,
the wars of the next century will not be fought over water instead of oil. Water is simply not that
important to the region’s economies, states or ruling classes. This is not to deny, of course, that
water is a locally crucial resource, or to doubt that water scarcities in the region’s poorest areas
are engendering local social conflicts and—much more importantly, in terms of overall human
suffering—malnutrition, ill-health and, in Sudan and Ethiopia, famine. It is merely to assert that
 Geopolitics of water in the Middle East

this does not translate into water being of growing geopolitical significance. Whatever the USA’s
real motives were for invading Iraq; we can rest assured that this was not in order to control the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

III. Main Points Explained by Author

1- Author successfully explained the water crisis that is faced by Middle East. Most experts
believe that the water crisis can be solved by controlling population but the roots of water
crisis are not found in increase of population rather the inefficiency of governance. the failure
to make best use of modern technologies in the production, storage, conveyance,
conservation, treatment, use and reuse of water; the failure to treat water as an economic
commodity, and to put realistic prices on it that reflects its economic value; the failure to
allocate water appropriately between different users; and the failure of state institutions to
manage water properly through appropriate regulatory and tariff structures, through
systematic resource monitoring, and through rational, rather than politicized, decision
making. Technological, economic and institutional inefficiencies: these, for most
international finance and development organizations, and international water experts, are
the essential causes of water problems.
2- Water is of not significance while discussing the economic growth of Middle East. Water was
considered a crucial part of any economy in past but in contemporary world and in Middle
East, that is not the case. This can be easily illustrated by comparing water to oil. Oil provided
the state-led development of the Gulf economies; the construction of impressive and tax-free
health, education, welfare and infrastructure systems; the consolidation of authoritarian and
militarized regimes with weak social bases yet unrivalled legitimacy; remittances, aid and
investment to the region’s non-oil states; and investment in global markets and the
petrodollar-led financialization of contemporary capitalism.
3- Water war thesis is simply misplaced. There is no evidence that states that water led to
international wars in past. This may not be so true of local politics of the region.

IV. Limitations of the article

Water is the most basic human need. All the major civilizations were formed and thrived near
the water sources. While this article successfully illustrates the role of water in international
politics, it fails to signify its importance at local level and what it means for people of the
region. As stated earlier, water can be matter of ‘Life’ and ‘Death’. Water provides a much-
needed support for agricultural development in the region and water scarcities may lead to
food shortage which in turn can cause malnutrition in the region and in extreme cases,
famine. So, the water may not be of significant importance at international level and
determining the political economy of the world, it is certainly important in defining the
politics of the region.
 Geopolitics of water in the Middle East

V. Suggestions
The claims that water can be source of international conflict and west should also cease the
water resources of Middle East is of selfish nature. There should be a comparative analysis of
role of water in politics and lives of Middle Eastern people. The article should have illustrated
that with examples rather than just focusing on international level.