Hydropolitics along the Jordan River : scarce water and its impact on the Arab-Israeli conflict

The United Nations University is an organ of the United Nations established by the General Assembly in 1972 to be an international community of scholars engaged in research, advanced training, and the dissemination of knowledge related to the pressing global problems of human survival, development, and welfare. Its activities focus mainly on peace and conflict resolution, development in a changing world, and science and technology in relation to human welfare. The University operates through a worldwide network of research and postgraduate training centres, with its planning and coordinating headquarters in Tokyo. The United Nations University Press, the publishing division of the UNU, publishes scholarly books and periodicals in the social sciences, humanities, and pure and applied natural sciences related to the University's research. ## Hydropolitics along the Jordan River Note to the reader from the UNU The United Nations University's programme area on Sustaining Global Life-support Systems responds to the priorities identified in the Agenda 21 emanating from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Within the programme area on Sustaining Global Lifesupport Systems, the UNU's programme on Integrated Studies of Ecosystems aggregates issues of environmentally sustainable development from the entry point of the capacity of ecosystems and their ability to support, resist, or recuperate from the long-term impact of major transformations. UNU's projects within this programme approach issues from three perspectives: one focus is on integrated studies of fragile ecosystems and other vulnerable regions in given geographical zones: mountains and lowlands, and fragile ecosystems in critical zones. A second set of projects covers improved methods of measuring and monitoring sustainability and environmental management. A third is sectoral studies of critical resources such as forests, oceans, biodiversity resources, and waters. As part of its activities concerned with water as a critical resource, the UNU is continuing to organize a series of projects that work to harness the inextricable link between water and geopolitics in arid and volatile regions. The aim is to identify issues in disputes concerning water resources; to select alternative scenarios that could lead to the solution of the complex problems related to water issues; and to recommend processes through which the countries concerned are likely to agree to mutually satisfactory solutions to problems. The Middle East Water Forum held in Cairo in 1993, organized by the UNU, produced an authoritative book on the subject entitled ''International Waters of the Middle East: From Euphrates-Tigris to Nile.'' The Forum proved highly successful and contributed, informally but importantly, to the progress of the Middle East Peace Talks. This book emerged as a part of the UNU's continuing efforts in this field and is part of a series of books related to water issues and conflict resolution. Cooperation-inducing implementation: Three examples 153 Conclusions: Water basin analysis and the Jordan River watershed 170 Based on the premise that peace can be achieved in the Jordan River watershed through increased cooperation in planning and project implementation. Describes the history of water conflict and cooperation in the watershed, and explores the possible usefulness of the physical sciences, the law, political science, economics, game theory, and dispute resolution to the process of conflict resolution. The heart of the study includes proposals for an integrated model for water basin analysis and conflict resolution. No index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or. 1. Introduction -- 2. Hydrography And History -- 3. Towards An Interdisciplinary Approach To Water Basin Analysis And The Resolution Of International Water Disputes -- 4. Interdisciplinary Analysis And The Jordan River Watershed -- 5. Summary And Conclusions -- Afterword: Parting The Waters. Aaron T. Wolf. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 260-272).