Tigris and Euphrates basins are shared by Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Much of the hydropolitical issues stem from Turkey. Turkey was the only country on the Euphrates (and one of the only three countries) that voted against the International Law Commission of the United Nation on the law of Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses in 1997. Turkey also considers that “the convention does not apply to them and for this reason it is not legally binding” (scirp). Turkey also likes to negotiate all the water resources in Syria and Iraq. Syria also laid claim to the Tigris, even though only 44 km run along their common border with Turkey.
The Nile river has been part of human civilization for thousands of years, and has hydropolitical importance to this day. “The Nile River is the world’s longest river and an estimated 123 million people depend on it for survival. The river is shared by 10 countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea. While about 85 % of the river water originates from Eritrea and Ethiopia, about 94 % of the water is used by Sudan and Egypt.”(irenees) Nowadays tensions are increasing due to the population growth, poverty, degradation of the ecosystem and water scarcity. Ethiopia has also expressed interest in developing its water resources by building a series of micro-dams on the Blue Nile. Not surprisingly, such plans have led to tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia
The River Jordan; The agreement between Israel and Jordan regarding the River Jordan is the only one in the Middle East that has led to the recognition of water rights on both sides. This water agreement is a part of the broader political treaty signed by Israel and Jordan in 1994. However, in 1999, the treaty’s limitations were exposed by events concerning water shortages in the Jordan basin. A drought reduced Israel’s water supply, which is responsible for providing water to Jordan. As a result, Israel decreased its water provisions to Jordan, causing a diplomatic disagreement between the two and bringing the water component of the treaty back into question. To this day the River Jordan plays a large hydropolitical role in Israel Jordan and the West Bank.
Al-Ansari, Nadhir. “Hydro-Politics of the Tigris and Euphrates Basins.” Engineering, vol. 08, no. 03, 2016, pp. 140–172, https://doi.org/10.4236/eng.2016.83015. Accessed 13 May 2020.
—. “Hydro-Politics of the Tigris and Euphrates Basins.” Engineering, vol. 08, no. 03, 2016, pp. 140–172, https://doi.org/10.4236/eng.2016.83015. Accessed 13 May 2020.
“Hydro-Politics in the Nile – Irénées.” Www.irenees.net, www.irenees.net/bdf_fiche-experience-667_en.html. Accessed 8 Mar. 2024.
Unu collections. “Hydropolitics_Jordan_River.pdf” 1995
Script.org/ “referencespapers”