Drinking water resources as a source of the Israeli-Arab conflicts

Abstract

The Jordan river basin is a part of the Middle East which has for centuries been a site of great religious, cultural, political and other upheavals. Bearing in mind that the resources of drinking water in this arid region are naturally limited, and that since 1930s there has been a rapid increase in population, expansion of urban areas, agricultural development and increase in industrial production, along with consequences caused by climate change, it is no wonder that limited resources of drinking water are a stumbling block and a source of tension, conflicts and clashes between countries in the region, i.e. Israel on one side, and the Arab states on the other. The paper especially highlights the geographical situation and the condition of drinking water resources in the basin of the Jordan river; factors and actors that jeopardize the drinking water resources; and conflicts and consequences of Israel's hegemony applied in resolving the division of drinking water resources in this basin.

Keywords

• drinking water resources
• conflicts
• the jordan river basin