Synopses & Reviews
Why do states in arid regions fail to co-operate in sharing water resources when co-operation would appear to be in their mutual interest? Miriam Lowi explores the answers to these critical questions.
Review
"...the author has provided a useful addition to reference works on the very vital topic of water-rights disputes in the Middle East." Middle East Policy"Lowi's book is such an important contribution, since it encapsulates the main issues and historical developments between its covers and stresses the real diplomatic difficulties inherent in such complex situations." The Journal of Conflict Studies"Water and Power is a useful addition to the growing literature on the gravity of environmental problems in the Middle East, and the centrality of the water issue to the reconciliation of political disputes. ...this book is a powerful argument for unrelenting attention toward acheiving political resolutions to disputes." International Journal of Middle East Studies"...this book does a commendable job of reviewing the history of the conflict and documenting the difficulties of using water negotiations to induce broader political arguments and reconciliation." Peter L. Doan, Digest of Middle East Studies"Although there have been a number of studies of the Jordan River dispute, none interweaves analysis of the terms of that dispute with the larger Arab-Israeli conflict as successfully as this one." F. Tachau, Social &Behavioral Sciences"Solidly researched, lucidly written, and likely to have a long shelf-life, it is a leading contribution to the study of the politics of water conflict in the Jordan River and other basins..." Sharif S. Elmusa, MESA Bulletin
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 271-285) and index.
Table of Contents
'l. Introduction: conflict and cooperation in international river basins; Part I. RIPARIAN DILEMMAS: 2. The environment of conflict in the Jordan basin; 3. Riparian disputes compared; Part II. THE JORDAN WATERS CONFLICT: 4. The Johnston mission to the Middle East (l953-l956); 5. Perception and misperception: the Jordan waters crisis (l964) and the onset of war; Part III. THE JORDAN BASIN SINCE l967: 6. Water and development in Israel and Jordan; 7. Riparian relations and the perception of conflict; 8. Riparian disputes since l967; 9. Conclusion: the conduct of riparian disputes and the potential for cooperation in international river basins.\n
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