An Analysis of the Causes of Water Crisis in the Euphrates-Tigris River Basin

Abstract

The Euphrates-Tigris river basin now faces severe water crisis that have been fueled by national development projects in a mainly water-scarce region. Increasing demand-induced scarcity is further complicated by a history of international tensions between the three riparian nations of Turkey, Syria and Iraq and has occurred in a changing climate. Water is a critical security issue for these nations. This essay analyses the causes of the water crises by reviewing the historical hydropolitical international relations of the region.