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Freshwater Scarcity, Interdependence and Institutionalism in Jordanian Foreign Policy: Towards Conflict or Cooperation?

Year 2013, Volume: 18 Issue: 4, 195 - 213, 01.01.2013

Abstract

Freshwater scarcity is an increasingly important aspect of the international relations of the Middle East and North Africa, and is magnified when sources are shared between states. In the Jordanian, Israeli and Syrian cases, most of their freshwater sources are shared. At the same time, cooperation between these states has emerged. This paper examines inter-state cooperation by considering freshwater scarcity issues in Jordanian-Israeli-Syrian relations. This study argues that three factors help determine whether freshwater scarcity leads to conflict or cooperation between riparian states: the nature and intensity of the scarcity, the level of interdependence between the actors sharing this resource, and their level of engagement in international institutions. It concludes that cooperation is possible between states even those with difficulties in other areas of their relationship when the scarcity experienced is intense, they are interdependent in this and other spheres, and they engage with each other through international institutions.

References

  • See, Peter Gleick, “Water and Conflict: Freshwater Resources and International Security”, International Security Vol. 18, No. 1 (Summer 1993), pp. 79-112; Thomas Homer-Dixon, “Environmental Scarcities and Violent Conflict: Evidence from Cases”, International Security Vol. 19, No. 1 (Summer 1994), pp. 5-40; Mark Zeitoun, Power and Water in the Middle East: The Hidden Politics of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, London, I.B. Tauris, 2008.
  • Tareq Y. Ismael and Jacqueline S. Ismael, Government and Politics in the Contemporary Middle East: Continuity and Change, London, Routledge, 2011, pp. 17-43.
  • James Russell (ed.), Critical Issues Facing the Middle East: Security, Politics and Economics, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, pp. 27-29.
  • Alan Richards and John Waterbury, A Political Economy of the Middle East, 3rd edition, Boulder, Westview Press, 2008, pp. 144-145.
  • Robert North, “Toward a Framework for the Analysis of Scarcity and Conflict”, International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 4 (1977), pp. 569-591.
  • Homer-Dixon, “Environmental Scarcities”, p. 36.
  • Julie Matthaei, “Rethinking Scarcity: Neoclassicism, Neo-Malthusianism, and Neo- Marxism”, Review of Radical Political Economics, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1984), pp. 81-94. 8 Ibid.
  • See, Yujiro Hayami and Vernon Ruttan, Agricultural Development: An International Perspective, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press, 1985.
  • Thomas Homer-Dixon, “The Ingenuity Gap: Can Poor Countries Adapt to Resource Scarcity?”, Population and Development Review, Vol. 21, No. 3 (September 1995), p. 1.
  • Homer-Dixon, “Environmental Scarcities”, p. 9.
  • North, “Analysis of Scarcity and Conflict”.
  • Thomas Homer-Dixon and Jessica Blitt, Ecoviolence: Links Among Environment, Population and Scarcity, Lanham, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 1998, p. 33.
  • Ismail Serageldin, “Surviving Scarcity: Sustainable Management of Water Resources”, Harvard International Review, Vol., 18 No. 3 (Summer 1996), pp. 50-53.
  • Thomas Homer-Dixon, “On the Threshold: Environmental Changes as Causes of Acute Conflict”, International Security, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Fall 1991), p. 78. 16 Ibid., p. 82. 17 Ibid., p.110.
  • the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea and a second canal which would link the Dead Sea with the Red Sea. The proposed project would have been cheaper to construct than the Suez Canal and would have provided a link to the Indian Ocean at a time when there was none. The canal, obviously, was never constructed.
  • Hana Namrouqa, “Experts Say Red-Dead Concerns can be Addressed”, Jordan Times, 14 June 2010.
  • See, Marwan Kardoosh, The Institutional Dimension of the Success of Jordanian QIZs, Amman, Jordan Centre for Public Policy Research and Dialogue, 2006.
  • Allan, Middle East Water Question, p. 45.
  • Rami Abdelrahman, “Two Leaders Launch Al Wihdeh Dam”, Jordan Times, 10 February 2004.
  • Agreement Between The Republic of Syria and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Concerning the Utilisation of the Yarmouk Waters, Signed in Damascus, 4 June 1953; in force, 8 July 1953, at http://waterlaw.org/documents/regionaldocs/syria-jordan-1953.html [last visited 18 August 2013].
  • Anon, “Turkey’s Ozaltin Wins $86 Million Wihdah Dam Tender”, Jordan Times, 10 March 2003.
  • Nazim K. El-Naser, Management of Scarce Water Resources: A Middle Eastern Experience, Ashurst, WIT Press, 2009, pp. 51-54. 46 Ibid.
  • Joseph Audeh, “Jordan, Syria Reach Agreement on Distribution of Water from Yarmouk River”, Al-Shorfa News, 10 March 2009.
  • Jordan - Ministry of Trade and Industry, Trade and Investment Information System database.
  • Laurie Brand, Jordan’s Inter-Arab Relations: The Political Economy of Alliance Making, New York, Columbia University Press, 1994, pp. 152-195.
Year 2013, Volume: 18 Issue: 4, 195 - 213, 01.01.2013

Abstract

References

  • See, Peter Gleick, “Water and Conflict: Freshwater Resources and International Security”, International Security Vol. 18, No. 1 (Summer 1993), pp. 79-112; Thomas Homer-Dixon, “Environmental Scarcities and Violent Conflict: Evidence from Cases”, International Security Vol. 19, No. 1 (Summer 1994), pp. 5-40; Mark Zeitoun, Power and Water in the Middle East: The Hidden Politics of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, London, I.B. Tauris, 2008.
  • Tareq Y. Ismael and Jacqueline S. Ismael, Government and Politics in the Contemporary Middle East: Continuity and Change, London, Routledge, 2011, pp. 17-43.
  • James Russell (ed.), Critical Issues Facing the Middle East: Security, Politics and Economics, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, pp. 27-29.
  • Alan Richards and John Waterbury, A Political Economy of the Middle East, 3rd edition, Boulder, Westview Press, 2008, pp. 144-145.
  • Robert North, “Toward a Framework for the Analysis of Scarcity and Conflict”, International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 4 (1977), pp. 569-591.
  • Homer-Dixon, “Environmental Scarcities”, p. 36.
  • Julie Matthaei, “Rethinking Scarcity: Neoclassicism, Neo-Malthusianism, and Neo- Marxism”, Review of Radical Political Economics, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1984), pp. 81-94. 8 Ibid.
  • See, Yujiro Hayami and Vernon Ruttan, Agricultural Development: An International Perspective, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press, 1985.
  • Thomas Homer-Dixon, “The Ingenuity Gap: Can Poor Countries Adapt to Resource Scarcity?”, Population and Development Review, Vol. 21, No. 3 (September 1995), p. 1.
  • Homer-Dixon, “Environmental Scarcities”, p. 9.
  • North, “Analysis of Scarcity and Conflict”.
  • Thomas Homer-Dixon and Jessica Blitt, Ecoviolence: Links Among Environment, Population and Scarcity, Lanham, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 1998, p. 33.
  • Ismail Serageldin, “Surviving Scarcity: Sustainable Management of Water Resources”, Harvard International Review, Vol., 18 No. 3 (Summer 1996), pp. 50-53.
  • Thomas Homer-Dixon, “On the Threshold: Environmental Changes as Causes of Acute Conflict”, International Security, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Fall 1991), p. 78. 16 Ibid., p. 82. 17 Ibid., p.110.
  • the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea and a second canal which would link the Dead Sea with the Red Sea. The proposed project would have been cheaper to construct than the Suez Canal and would have provided a link to the Indian Ocean at a time when there was none. The canal, obviously, was never constructed.
  • Hana Namrouqa, “Experts Say Red-Dead Concerns can be Addressed”, Jordan Times, 14 June 2010.
  • See, Marwan Kardoosh, The Institutional Dimension of the Success of Jordanian QIZs, Amman, Jordan Centre for Public Policy Research and Dialogue, 2006.
  • Allan, Middle East Water Question, p. 45.
  • Rami Abdelrahman, “Two Leaders Launch Al Wihdeh Dam”, Jordan Times, 10 February 2004.
  • Agreement Between The Republic of Syria and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Concerning the Utilisation of the Yarmouk Waters, Signed in Damascus, 4 June 1953; in force, 8 July 1953, at http://waterlaw.org/documents/regionaldocs/syria-jordan-1953.html [last visited 18 August 2013].
  • Anon, “Turkey’s Ozaltin Wins $86 Million Wihdah Dam Tender”, Jordan Times, 10 March 2003.
  • Nazim K. El-Naser, Management of Scarce Water Resources: A Middle Eastern Experience, Ashurst, WIT Press, 2009, pp. 51-54. 46 Ibid.
  • Joseph Audeh, “Jordan, Syria Reach Agreement on Distribution of Water from Yarmouk River”, Al-Shorfa News, 10 March 2009.
  • Jordan - Ministry of Trade and Industry, Trade and Investment Information System database.
  • Laurie Brand, Jordan’s Inter-Arab Relations: The Political Economy of Alliance Making, New York, Columbia University Press, 1994, pp. 152-195.
There are 25 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Course Leader This is me

Publication Date January 1, 2013
Published in Issue Year 2013 Volume: 18 Issue: 4

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APA Leader, C. (2013). Freshwater Scarcity, Interdependence and Institutionalism in Jordanian Foreign Policy: Towards Conflict or Cooperation?. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs, 18(4), 195-213.
AMA Leader C. Freshwater Scarcity, Interdependence and Institutionalism in Jordanian Foreign Policy: Towards Conflict or Cooperation?. PERCEPTIONS. January 2013;18(4):195-213.
Chicago Leader, Course. “Freshwater Scarcity, Interdependence and Institutionalism in Jordanian Foreign Policy: Towards Conflict or Cooperation?”. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs 18, no. 4 (January 2013): 195-213.
EndNote Leader C (January 1, 2013) Freshwater Scarcity, Interdependence and Institutionalism in Jordanian Foreign Policy: Towards Conflict or Cooperation?. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs 18 4 195–213.
IEEE C. Leader, “Freshwater Scarcity, Interdependence and Institutionalism in Jordanian Foreign Policy: Towards Conflict or Cooperation?”, PERCEPTIONS, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 195–213, 2013.
ISNAD Leader, Course. “Freshwater Scarcity, Interdependence and Institutionalism in Jordanian Foreign Policy: Towards Conflict or Cooperation?”. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs 18/4 (January 2013), 195-213.
JAMA Leader C. Freshwater Scarcity, Interdependence and Institutionalism in Jordanian Foreign Policy: Towards Conflict or Cooperation?. PERCEPTIONS. 2013;18:195–213.
MLA Leader, Course. “Freshwater Scarcity, Interdependence and Institutionalism in Jordanian Foreign Policy: Towards Conflict or Cooperation?”. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs, vol. 18, no. 4, 2013, pp. 195-13.
Vancouver Leader C. Freshwater Scarcity, Interdependence and Institutionalism in Jordanian Foreign Policy: Towards Conflict or Cooperation?. PERCEPTIONS. 2013;18(4):195-213.