Water wars? Inequalities in the Tigris‐Euphrates river basin

The water resources of the Tigris‐Euphrates basin are contested by its three primary riparians ‐ Turkey, Syria and Iraq. Rapid population growth, inefficient methods of water harvesting and massive water development plans are placing considerable strain on the existing water supply of the basin, and in order to avoid conflict, an effective water‐sharing measure is an immediate necessity. However, owing to a number of geopolitical inequalities among the riparians, Turkey has little need to cooperate, and Iraq and Syria can do little to stop this. Without Turkish cooperation, any water‐sharing arrangement in the region is doomed to fail. Therefore finding incentive for Turkey to participate in negotiations is an exceedingly difficult task, but one that must be considered if a water agreement in the Tigris‐Euphrates Basin is to become a reality.