The Middle East Water Question: Hydropolitics and the Global Economy

Rating:
Summary: Ships in the night: water experts and the Middle East.
Review: This witty and wide-ranging book looks at the geographical, religious, cultural, legal and above all political aspects of water in the Middle East. It's a brilliant and wide-ranging explanation of why national water insecurity is simply not recognised there. And Allan argues that it does not, in fact, exist: although the area has run out of water, it imports it invisibly in the form of grain - a rescue system which cannot, for domestic political reasons, be acknowledged. Along the way he exposes the arrogance of western water experts who think they can solve water problems in developing countries by advocating economic rationalism without taking account of the history and politics of the countries they advise (or the economic irrationality of their own nations). Little wonder that their solutions are not adopted by local power elites who think they are self-serving and ill-informed. Water is a contentious issue, says Allan, but only one part of the larger political relationships between countries. It will be the subject of dispute when that is politically expedient, but has hardly ever been in the past, and will be even less so in the future, a sufficient cause for war. This book puts all the "water wars" books into the shade. Its sophistication shows up the superficiality of narrow analyses that don't take account of global influences on local situations. It recognises that facts are what the powerful choose to see. Allan argues that, as countries develop socio-economically, they will be able to make policy changes that will make more efficient and effective use of water, as Israel already has. Only when an economy is strong and diverse can it support re-allocation of water from agriculture. He thinks there will be enough water to sustain the growing world population - and he has an entertaining and erudite analysis to convince the reader he's right.

Rating:
Summary: Ships in the night: water experts and the Middle East.
Review: This witty and wide-ranging book looks at the geographical, religious, cultural, legal and above all political aspects of water in the Middle East. It's a brilliant and wide-ranging explanation of why national water insecurity is simply not recognised there. And Allan argues that it does not, in fact, exist: although the area has run out of water, it imports it invisibly in the form of grain - a rescue system which cannot, for domestic political reasons, be acknowledged. Along the way he exposes the arrogance of western water experts who think they can solve water problems in developing countries by advocating economic rationalism without taking account of the history and politics of the countries they advise (or the economic irrationality of their own nations). Little wonder that their solutions are not adopted by local power elites who think they are self-serving and ill-informed. Water is a contentious issue, says Allan, but only one part of the larger political relationships between countries. It will be the subject of dispute when that is politically expedient, but has hardly ever been in the past, and will be even less so in the future, a sufficient cause for war. This book puts all the "water wars" books into the shade. Its sophistication shows up the superficiality of narrow analyses that don't take account of global influences on local situations. It recognises that facts are what the powerful choose to see. Allan argues that, as countries develop socio-economically, they will be able to make policy changes that will make more efficient and effective use of water, as Israel already has. Only when an economy is strong and diverse can it support re-allocation of water from agriculture. He thinks there will be enough water to sustain the growing world population - and he has an entertaining and erudite analysis to convince the reader he's right.