Climate change, water resources, and the politics of adaptation in the Middle East and North Africa
Abstract
Through an examination of global climate change models combined with hydrological
data on deteriorating water quality in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), we
elucidate the ways in which the MENA countries are vulnerable to climate-induced impacts
on water resources. Adaptive governance strategies, however, remain a low priority
for political leaderships in the MENA region. To date, most MENA governments have
concentrated the bulk of their resources on large-scale supply side projects such
as desalination, dam construction, inter-basin water transfers, tapping fossil groundwater
aquifers, and importing virtual water. Because managing water demand, improving the
efficiency of water use, and promoting conservation will be key ingredients in responding
to climate-induced impacts on the water sector, we analyze the political, economic,
and institutional drivers that have shaped governance responses. While the scholarly
literature emphasizes the importance of social capital to adaptive governance, we
find that many political leaders and water experts in the MENA rarely engage societal
actors in considering water risks. We conclude that the key capacities for adaptive
governance to water scarcity in MENA are underdeveloped. © 2010 Springer Science+Business
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6460Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1007/s10584-010-9835-4Publication Info
Sowers, J; Vengosh, A; & Weinthal, E (2011). Climate change, water resources, and the politics of adaptation in the Middle East
and North Africa. Climatic Change, 104(3-4). pp. 599-627. 10.1007/s10584-010-9835-4. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6460.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Avner Vengosh
Nicholas Distinguished Professor of Environmental Quality
Avner Vengosh is a Distinguished Professor and Nicholas Chair of Environmental Quality
at the Nicholas School of the Environment. He is the chair of the Division of Earth
and Climate Sciences. Professor Vengosh and his team have studied the energy-water
nexus, conducting pioneer research on the impact of hydraulic fracturing and coal
ash disposal on the quantity and quality of water resources in the U.S. and China.
He has also investigated the sources and mechanisms of water contaminati
Erika S. Weinthal
Professor of Environmental Policy and Public Policy
Dr. Weinthal specializes in global environmental politics and environmental security
with a particular emphasis on water and energy. Current areas of research include
(1) global environmental politics and governance, (2) environmental conflict and peacebuilding,
(3) the political economy of the resource curse, and (4) climate change adaptation.
Dr. Weinthal’s research spans multiple geographic regions, including the Soviet successor
states, the Middle East, South Asia, East Africa, and
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