The Tigris-Euphrates River Basin: Mediating a Path Towards Regional Water Stability

Abstract

percent, and Syria 32 percent. 2 These figures add up to an impossible 149 percent demand for the total Euphrates waters. It is clear that, in the near future, water demands of the riparians (those nations through which the river passes) will surpass the amount of water supplied by the Euphrates. While disputes over water allocation are likely to worsen in the future, tensions have already increased between the three countries. A number of crises have occurred in the Euphrates River basin due to lack of communication, conflicting approaches, unilateral development, and inefficient water management practices. Twice, in 1975 and 1998, war has been narrowly averted only by external mediation, and the situation is so politically tense that the countries involved cannot even participate in trilateral talks about water use. There have been a few efforts to share data and discuss issues bilaterally, yet the countries continue to pursue their uncoordinated development projects. A successful resolution of this conflict would enable a stable water relationship between Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. This requires opening the channels of communication between the three leaders over their water allocations, and the initiation of a process that would lead to equitable utilization of the waters. In this context, equitable does not mean equal use, rather that, “a large variety of factors, including population, geography and the availability of alternative resources and so on, can be considered in the