Green Wars?
Environment between Conflict and Cooperation in the Middle East and North Africa

Beirut, November 2-3, 2007

Struggles over natural resources, in particular water, have long held to be among the most important causes for potential inter-state conflicts. Yet, the trans-national and trans-border character of many environmental issues may also compel otherwise hostile neighbors to a minimum of cooperation. This two-day conference will focus on environmental problems that carry the potential to cause conflicts and mostly require cooperation for sustainable solutions. It seeks to shed light on the high benefits of environmental cooperation between states in the MENA region and the necessity to improve and intensify this cooperation, parallel to showcasing the high costs of inadequate joint actions and of the absence of proper state handling of environmental malaise. The risks environmental degradation poses on MENA states and the region will become visible but also the great potential it bears for finding a common ground.
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Conference Papers

Water Agreements between Israel and Palestine
By: Hilmi S. Salem, Jad Isaac

The Jordanian - Israeli Water Agreement
By Munther J. Haddadin
 
Challenges of Effective Cooperation in the Nile Basin
By Yacob Arsano

Land Degradation and conflict in Sudan
By Mr. Mohyel Deen El Toahmi Taha

Conference Presentations

Water Agreements between Israel and Palestine
By: Hilmi S. Salem and Jad Isaac

Water Wars and Ecoviolence? Myth or Reality?
By: Nils Petter Gleditsch

Environmental Cooperation in the Middle East: A Catalyst for Peace?
By: Dr. Saleem H. Ali

Climate Change Scenarios and Possible Impacts for the MENA Region: Hazards, Migration and Conflicts?
Hans Günter Brauch

Water Resources - Promoting Cooperation, Development and Sustainability
Jakob Granit

Links

Forced Migration Review (FMR)
Climate change and displacement
This issue of Forced Migration Review (FMR)31 deals with Climate change and displacement, debates the numbers, the definitions and the modalities – and the tension between the need for research and the need to act.

German Foreign Office
Desertification: a Security threat?
Conference on the Occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification 2007

Green Cross International
Water for Peace in the Middle East and Southern Africa

German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Trans-boundary Water Cooperation

Peter Stucki
Water Wars or Water Peace? Rethinking the Nexus between Water Scarcity and Armed Conflict

Saleem H. Ali, Michael Cohen
Salvaging Peace with Syria
A commentary co-authored for the Carnegie Council on prospects for an environmental solution to the Golan conflict.

Saleem H. Ali
A Natural Connection between Ecology and Peace

Introduction to the newly published edited volume Peace Parks - Conservation and Conflict Resolution, edited by Saleem H. Ali, MIT Press, 2007.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs:  
LEBANON: Climate change and politics threaten water wars in Bekaa

United Nations Environment Programme: Sudan - Post Conflict Environmental Assessment