Middle Eastern and North African Hydropolitics: From Eddies of Indecision to Emerging International Law

Abstract:     
The death of Yasser Arafat, removal of Saddam Hussein, passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483, and conflict in Sudan significantly alter the geopolitics of the Middle East and North Africa. International law consists of the accretion of co-aquifer agreements as well as international treaties. Recent codification efforts have provided a framework with which co-aquifer states can address transboundary natural resources through flexible water use provisions, equitable distribution of water benefits, and strong dispute resolution mechanisms. This article applies the multifactor balancing test of the Draft Convention on the Law of Transboundary Aquifers to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and analyzes Middle Eastern and North African hydropolitics in light of emerging international law.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 40

Keywords: International Water Law, Groundwater, Aquifer, The Palestinian Authority, Israel, Middle East and North Africa, Conflict Resolution, Water Scarcity, Reasonable and Equitable Water Utilization, Joint Water Management, Adaptable Co-riparian Cooperation, United Nations, Dispute Resolution

JEL Classification: F0, H4, I18, K32, K33, L92, O00, O3, Q1, Q2, Z00

Accepted Paper Series