National Security is Everyone's Business

April 24th, 2024 | 6:03 PM ET

Finding Water in the Desert: Water Security in the Middle East

Posted: August 19th, 2016

In 1979, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat said that “the only matter which could take Egypt to war again is water.” That war may not have come yet, but the truth behind Sadat’s warning remains just as relevant today, and not just in Egypt. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is one of the most water insecure regions on the globe, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI). What’s more, observes Stimson Center Fellow and Cipher Brief expert Amit Pandya, “roughly two thirds of the Arab World’s surface water supplies originate outside the region” or require extensive cooperation between regional countries to manage.

Aggravated by climate change, ballooning populations, and widespread conflict, these factors combine to create a deep, yet often overlooked, source of instability in the region. As MENA water needs continue to outstrip supply, what can be done to slake the region’s thirst and prevent future conflicts?

“The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even a close second to The Cipher Brief in terms of the number of articles published by formers.” —Sept. 2018, Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 62

Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Subscriber+

Categorized as:InternationalTagged with:

Related Articles

How Safe Would We Be Without Section 702?

SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — A provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that has generated controversy around fears of the potential for abuse has proven to be crucial […] More

June 1st, 2023

Search

Close