Future Wars in Mideast Probably on Water: Iranian Diplomat.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister says the water crisis in the Middle East is getting worse and more serious day by day so much so that “probably the future wars in this region would be on water.” Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi says the issue of water, water resources, coping with water scarcity, as well as the use of common water areas have always been top on the agenda of Iran’s foreign ministry.
“In the past few decades, water has become a global concern and in line with it, Water Diplomacy and a science called Water Policy or Hydropolitics have come into existence, and they are currently being taught in some of the world’s leading universities,” Araqchi stressed in a Farsi interview with ISNA on water diplomacy.
“In recent years, water and its scarcity has turned into a sensitive and serious issue in our country, and has even become a security concern.” “Considering the importance of this issue, the foreign ministry has tried to focus more on water diplomacy.
In response to a question on the lack of freshwater in the Middle East, he said it is possible to see a water conflict in the region in the near future.
“Water war is not a new issue; it has always existed and has been considered for years as a serious threat in the Middle East.
This situation will become much worse by 2050, and water scarcity next to drought will become a very serious issue for Middle Eastern countries, including Iran,” he said.
Araqchi also underlined that even some parts of Iran may be completely or largely abandoned because of this issue.
This official added that there are two solutions regarding this global crisis.
In response to a question on how it is possible to provide water from abroad, he said such ideas exist in Iran as well, but how physically these ideas can be operational is another issue.