Water and Power: The Politics of a Scarce Resource in the Jordan River Basin

Cambridge Middle East Library

by Miriam R. Lowi, Anthony A. Hoekema

Why do states in arid regions fail to cooperate in sharing water resources when cooperation would appear to be in their mutual interest? And under what circumstances could they be encouraged to negotiate even when protracted conflict characterizes interstate relations? Through in-depth analysis of the history and current status of the dispute over the waters of the Jordan River basin, among Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, and its relationship to the Arab-Israeli conflict, Dr Miriam Lowi explores the answers to these critical questions. By comparing the Jordan waters conflict with disputes in the Euphrates, Indus, and Nile River basins, she evaluates the material and ideal concerns of states with regard to sharing scarce resources with adversarial neighbors, and highlights the significance of water to both conceptions of national security and the local environment. Water and the politics of a scarce resource in the Jordan River basin is a provocative and well-researched study of an issue which is rapidly emerging on the international agenda because of the intimate links between environmental factors and their effects on the welfare of populations. This book will be of value to all those with an interest in the recent history and politics of the Middle East, the politics of scarcity, and resource conflicts.

Paperback

First published October 21, 1993