GEF

Unit 4  |  The Global Water Crisis 107 WATER CONCEPTS: WATER SCARCITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST Conflict over water resources is not a new problem. However, the tremendous increase in global population and mushrooming water demand is sparking renewed conflict. Egypt is a prominent example of a country at the heart of the twenty-first century water crisis. Fully dependent on the Nile River to support agriculture and urban development, Egypt has always focused intensively on its water security. In 1971, Egypt completed construction of an immense dam near the town of Aswan. This momentous project fulfilled the wishes of thousands of years of Egyptian leaders to be able to fully control the flow and flooding regimen of the all-important Nile. While the Aswan Dam has given water engineers unprecedented control over the river, it has not solved the basic problem of too much demand on this limited freshwater resource. In a situation echoed in river systems around the world, upriver countries play a major role in determining the fate of Egypt’s water supply. Eight Nile basin countries are the source of almost all the water that flows through the Nile. Egypt has used its superior economic and diplomatic power to secure for itself the lion’s share of Nile water, but Ethiopia and other countries in the region are demanding an increased supply of water in order to bolster their struggling economies. The situation remains tense as Egypt continues to regard any attempt by Ethiopia to increase its share of Nile water as a hostile act. Water scarcity and shortages have also been the impetus for improved cooperation between neighboring countries. Conflicts around water from the Jordan River that flows between Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Israel have led to skirmishes over the years, but these countries have also learned to cooperate over this vital resource. For example, Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994 with significant water components, including usage rights, and agreements to improve water infrastructure. In essence, the precarious water situation in the Jordan River basin has been both a source of conflict and a motivator of diplomacy and cooperation. All countries can learn from these examples as the challenges of international water management grow more pressing.