A relevância dos recursos hídricos na agenda internacional

: a água : factor potenciador de conflito na região do Médio Oriente?

Abstract

In the current international context water issues assume an important role for the human lives, particularly because we are now living in an even more complex world where the threats to human life come from various factors. Water resources are a relevant component for peace and it is important to think about its possible connection with the different levels of conflict between states, or within the states. Also, it is very important to think about water as potential factor for the development of cooperative ties between, and within, states. In the context of this investigation work it was considered the hypothetical relationship between the scarcity of water resources and the potential that exists for either conflict or cooperation, anticipating that both assumptions are valid. Thus, in the first chapter it was briefly explained the general problem which conducted this investigation from international standpoint. In the second chapter we tried to draw up some ideas on the problem of scarcity, identified as an engine that could contribute to a potential increase in level of sharing and managing water resources. Furthermore, the connection between water, conflict and cooperation, which is a central topic on this work, is explored in chapter three, giving particular emphasis to the importance of recognizing water as a fundamental human right. Chapter four tries to present a better understanding on the issue of conflict in the Middle East region, starting from drawing up an overview of the problem. So, in chapter five, we reflect on the role of water, understood as water resources, and we continue to present some examples of conflicts in the Middle East, including the Israeli- Palestinian water agreement between Israel and Jordan and the disputes between Israel and Syria based on the competition for water resources. With this work we try to demonstrate that it is important to reflect on the problem of water resources and its scarcity and to understand how it can be a cause for conflict, on one side, and a potential to develop ways of cooperation between states, on the other side, particularly in a dangerous region as it is the Middle East.

Date of Award	2012
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Francisco Proença Garcia (Supervisor)