Climate change, water crisis and social and political conflicts in the Middle East

Going beyond traditional approaches, recent security studies emphasize the decisive role of environmental variables in shaping the security situation at the national, regional and global levels. This article tries to examine the impact of the water crisis in the Middle East region on the security situation of the Middle East by relying on these discussions. The findings show that due to the transformations caused by climate change (warming above the global average, decrease in precipitation, increase in evaporation) and human interventions (increase in consumption demand, construction of water structures and excessive extraction of resources), the region is witnessing a severe crisis in the field of resources. It is water. The article emphasizes this finding, that the water crisis has had a definite effect on socio-political conflicts in the Middle East through the intensification of issues such as the increase in poverty, unemployment, inequality, feeling of discrimination, migration, marginalization, loss of legitimacy of the government, etc. The clear manifestation of this problem is evident in a number of the main security crises in the region, i.e. the civil war in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. The article emphasizes the conclusion that in the absence of effective governance, as well as the lack of will and a framework for collective action of countries, the environmental crises of the Middle East region will intensify in the coming years. Along with this process, it can be expected that the security challenges arising from the crises will also intensify.