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Occidental College

Publication Date

Fall 2019

Program Name

Jordan: Geopolitics, International Relations, and the Future of the Middle East

Abstract

Climate change has had a dramatic impact on the world’s weather for years, scientists can only make predictions about how global climate will continue to change going forward; but in all scenarios the circumstances are quite dire. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will see some of the most severe effects of climate change, which will permanently alter the lives of millions of people in the region. In the MENA region, climate change is projected to result in extreme drought and temperatures which will lead to increased water scarcity, in what is already the most water poor region in the world. This decrease in water will lead to increased competition for resources, human migration, and conflict over water access. The MENA region has a long history of using water as a weapon in war, as well as a driving factor behind starting it. The researcher comes to this conclusion after research in the form of five interviews, as well as an extensive literature review. The research not only hopes to find an answer to the question of whether conflict is seemingly imminent, but to also show the ways in which international negotiation and support is needed in order to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Disciplines

Arabic Studies | Climate | Defense and Security Studies | Environmental Policy | Environmental Studies | Islamic World and Near East History | Near and Middle Eastern Studies | Peace and Conflict Studies | Politics and Social Change | Social and Cultural Anthropology | Terrorism Studies

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