The Water Conflict and Fragility Nexus in the Arab Region

A symposium was organized featuring a panel of experts discussing "The Water, Conflict and Fragility Nexus in the Arab Region." The panel featured:

• Husein Amery, Director of the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Division (HASS) at Colorado School of Mines.
• Laurent Lambert, Social & Economic Survey Research Institute.
• Mohamad Al Saidi, Qatar University.

The panellists highlighted that refugees and internally displaced people are among the most vulnerable who often face the greatest problems obtaining safe water. Most Arab countries suffer from a scarcity of water resources adding to the problem.

According to studies, there is a link between water scarcity and food security in the future. This interdependence means that any shortage of one resource will affect other resources as well as produce negative externalities for international and national security and climate change.

Countries consider themselves less prepared to face water crises than other crises.

Water scarcity and droughts are among the main reasons that lead to wars and conflicts. For example, the effects of drought contributed to the emergence of movements such as Boko Haram.

In 2006 and 2011, Syria and Iraq were seriously affected in terms of water resources, which has generated cross-border instability in Sudan.