Water and the Future of the Middle East

Provoking a paradigm shift in how international actors think about water security in the region.

Water security has shaped the trajectory of the Middle East’s social, political, and economic conditions for millennia. As water tables drop and countries lose resilience to droughts and floods, water will play an even more important role in shaping the region’s future. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region hosts 12 of the 17 most-water-stressed countries in the world. Natural scarcity, decades of mismanagement, and accelerating climate change are combining now to place unprecedented pressure on populations and their governments. Population growth, conflict, and displacement have sharply raised the consequences of resource mismanagement. 

The CSIS Middle East program will seek to energize the policy environment—including Middle Eastern governments, civil society, aid agencies, and regional and global financial institutions—around more effective solutions. It will do so both by highlighting the rising salience of water insecurity in the Middle East and exploring constructive, practical, and actionable responses to the challenge. We also will deepen understanding of how water acts as a driver of conflict and instability or reconciliation in the Middle East, both within states and between states. By focusing on specific areas of concern, CSIS will be able to evaluate the second- and third-order effects of water insecurity and develop concrete recommendations for positive and necessary transformation.

This project is part of the Middle East Transformation Initiative, which is supported by Bahaa Rafic Hariri.

Advisory Board Members

Advisory board members of the Water and the Future of the Middle East project as part of the Middle East Transformation Initiative

Photo: CSIS

Featured Reports

Photo: DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images

The Thirst for Power

The Middle East has battled water insecurity for centuries, but today, the region is on a razor’s edge. Tackling the politics and power dynamics that have exacerbated scarcity is the only way to tackle this existential issue.

Report by Natasha Hall — March 7, 2025

Drone footage of Lake Sawa in Iraq.

Surviving Scarcity: Water and the Future of the Middle East

Human civilization was born out of the Middle East’s waterways. That water is disappearing, threatening the region’s future. To overcome this threat to security, countries will need to finally confront the political obstacles to sustainable and equitable policies. 

Digital Report by Natasha Hall — March 22, 2024

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Tipping Point: The Politics of Water Insecurity in the Middle East

While parts of the Middle East are inherently water scarce, tensions in the region and governance issues have brought the region to a tipping point. There is an urgent need to address the politics of water insecurity to alleviate this existential threat.

Commentary by Natasha Hall — March 10, 2025

The Thirst for Power

The Middle East has battled water insecurity for centuries, but today, the region is on a razor’s edge. Tackling the politics and power dynamics that have exacerbated scarcity is the only way to tackle this existential issue.

Report by Natasha Hall — March 7, 2025

Surviving Scarcity: Water and the Future of the Middle East

Human civilization was born out of the Middle East’s waterways. That water is disappearing, threatening the region’s future. To overcome this threat to security, countries will need to finally confront the political obstacles to sustainable and equitable policies. 

Digital Report by Natasha Hall — March 22, 2024

Redefining Climate Finance for a Troubled World

As funding for climate adaptation dwindles in the face of competing crises, climate financing should be mainstreamed into all investments and aid programs, while confronting the underlying governance issues that are often at the core of vulnerability to climate change.

Commentary by Natasha Hall — February 5, 2024

The Siege of Gaza’s Water

The siege on Gaza is crippling the territory’s water systems. Clean water and sanitation are unavailable for most, threatening a public health disaster. Improving water access is critical to preventing further loss of life and livelihoods and to rebuilding a secure future.

Commentary by Natasha Hall, Anita Kirschenbaum, and David Michel — January 12, 2024

Growing Cities On The Frontlines of Climate Change

Agriculture is a huge consumer of water and a major emitter of greenhouse gases. It affects and is affected by climate change. Natasha Hall argues that a focus on agriculture should not distract from the need to address cities, where most people live.

Blog Post by Natasha Hall — December 19, 2023

Event Summary: Water and Conflict Panel at UNGA 78

Natasha Hall moderated a side event to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly titled, “Water and Conflict: Addressing Water Insecurity Issues in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Countries,” bringing together government leaders, civil society members, and researchers.

Blog Post by Natasha Hall — October 31, 2023

Running Dry: Exploring the Water Crisis in Syria

Please join the Middle East Program for an event that sheds light on the water crisis in Syria and explores its effects on local communities with a focus on the political, financial, and social obstacles to alleviating water insecurity.

Event — September 19, 2023