KEY WATER CHALLENGES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: A CALL FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION

The document examines the critical water scarcity and management challenges facing the Eastern Mediterranean, highlighting the stark disparity in water distribution between the northern and southern/eastern regions. It analyzes the compounding effects of climate change, population growth, and political tensions on water security. The author argues for a shift from supply-based infrastructure to integrated water resource management and hydrodiplomacy to mitigate conflicts and foster regional stability.

• There is a severe geographic imbalance in water distribution across the Mediterranean basin; while northern countries hold 72% to 74% of renewable freshwater, the southern region houses 40% of the population but has access to only 5% to 8.5% of these resources.
• Climate change is projected to significantly disrupt the regional water cycle, particularly if global warming exceeds 2°C, leading to reduced surface water flow, diminished groundwater recharge, and increased desertification in southern and eastern areas.
• Water stress is acute in the south and east, where approximately 30 million people struggle to access safe drinking water and roughly 180 million people have water availability below 1,000 cubic meters per capita per year.
• The region relies heavily on groundwater, but extraction is unsustainable in some areas; eastern Mediterranean countries abstract around 92% of their renewable groundwater, and non-renewable fossil groundwater makes up nearly 66% of total reserves in southern and eastern countries.
• While water is not the primary cause of regional conflicts, it is a significant factor in the Arab-Israeli dispute and tensions in the Nile and Tigris-Euphrates basins, often exacerbated by unilateral development projects or perceived unfair sharing agreements.
• Current national strategies over-rely on supply-based infrastructure, such as dams, which are often failing due to siltation and can be used for 'hydroterritorialization' as seen in the Turkey-Northern Cyprus water pipeline.

APA

Sülün, E. E. (2023). KEY WATER CHALLENGES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: A CALL FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/21e0c7d7-df51-4d2b-b791-4866b85858aa/Key%20Water%20Challenges%20in%20the%20Eastern%20Mediterranean%20EESulun.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Sülün, Emine E. KEY WATER CHALLENGES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: A CALL FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2023. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/21e0c7d7-df51-4d2b-b791-4866b85858aa/Key%20Water%20Challenges%20in%20the%20Eastern%20Mediterranean%20EESulun.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sülün |first1=Emine E. |title=KEY WATER CHALLENGES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: A CALL FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=December 2023 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/21e0c7d7-df51-4d2b-b791-4866b85858aa/Key%20Water%20Challenges%20in%20the%20Eastern%20Mediterranean%20EESulun.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sln2023key, author = {Sülün, Emine E.}, title = {{KEY WATER CHALLENGES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: A CALL FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/21e0c7d7-df51-4d2b-b791-4866b85858aa/Key%20Water%20Challenges%20in%20the%20Eastern%20Mediterranean%20EESulun.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }