Water Resources and Sustainability in the Middle East: Conditions, Strategies and Societal Adaptations

About this programme

This course examines sustainability and development in a changing world, with a particular focus on water and climate issues, green energy as opposed to oil and gas, and the future financial and trade policy strategies of the Middle East and North Africa in relation to the wider world. The Middle East and North Africa region is characterised by scarce water resources, which are usually transboundary and often located in disputed or conflict-ridden areas. At the same time, the region’s population is growing rapidly and water availability is expected to be adversely affected by ongoing climate and land-use changes. Unless there is a reversal of this trend, future water resources will not be sufficient to meet the region’s growing needs, and the risk of conflict is high. The region’s economy, trade, politics and development are thus closely linked to its water resources and how they are utilised. The course covers sustainability from a systems perspective, incorporating both a theoretical approach and practical application through case study analyses within the Middle East and North Africa. Case studies are used to illustrate the dynamics between the region’s changing conditions and the utilisation of these resources, with a particular focus on water resources, their predominantly transboundary nature and the fact that they are often linked to disputed or conflict-ridden areas. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the focus is also on climate issues, green energy as opposed to oil and gas, and the future financial and trade policy strategies of the Middle East and North Africa i