Vanishing water landscapes: Perceptions of water, scarcity and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa

The Jordan River has been reduced to 2 per cent of its historic size and is heavily polluted. Across Syria, rivers are shrinking, springs have dried up and the desert is spreading. The water crisis in the Middle East and North Africa, the most water-scarce region in the world, is rapidly worsening, yet decision makers appear unwilling to acknowledge its severity, and water remains low on the political agenda.

How can this gap between the reality of growing scarcity and the continued illusion of plenty be explained? What are the implications of an increasing ecological deterioration for an already conflict-ridden region?

Watch the event live below or on SIPRI's YouTube Channel. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN8wTMHX9ms

Programme: Coffee will be served at 13.30 and discussion will begin at 14.00.

Keynote address

Dr Francesca de Châtel, journalist, editor and author specializing in water issues in the Arab world and Mediterranean region.

Background:

Francesca de Châtel has spent more than 15 years researching and writing about various aspects of water and scarcity in the Arab world and Mediterranean region. Her research examines the influence of religious, technological and political narratives on socio-cultural attitudes to water, with a focus on Jordan, Palestine and Syria.

Moderator

Dan Smith, SIPRI Director