Water Resource Conflicts and International Security: A Global Perspective

(Paperback)

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Water Resource Conflicts and International Security: A Global Perspective is an edited collection by Dhirendra K. Vajpeyi which analyzes the increasing global demand for water in economic and social development, and the dire need to efficiently manage this vital natural resource, particularly in water-scarce countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Several environmental- and human-induced factors, such as urbanization, industrialization, climate change, and agricultural needs, have created a near-crisis situation in many countries. Subsequently, there is an increasingly intense competition to utilize available water resources in these most heavily-affected regions; transboundary rivers, lakes, and streams which are shared by more than one country pose potential for political conflict, armed conflict, and, in the best of cases, cooperation. The contributors of Water Resource Conflicts and International Security present ten case studies in seven chapters, highlighting the competition between countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In his conclusion, Dhirendra K. Vajpeyi suggests several policy measures that governments may implement in order to minimize the potential for conflict.

Reviews

Top scholars, selected internationally, share their opinions on this uniquely global issue by providing outstanding analysis of transboundary water resources conflicts, and suggest ways for minimizing disputes. The contributors offer imaginative perspectives and approaches, and open up an intellectual space for clear, candid, and authoritative discussion on the process of equitable sharing of such vital resources. -- O.P. Dwivedi, University of Guelph, Canada
Vajpeyi and his collaborators went to some of the very places where civilization beganthe Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, and the Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra river basinsto illustrate and analyze how this indispensable resource can affect national security and decide questions of war and peace. This timely and trailblazing compendium is destined to become a significant point of reference on a subject certain to bedevil our planet in the days to come. -- Constantine P. Danopoulos, San Jose State University
This collection is unique in providing an important perspective on a resource without which mankind cannot exist. The six regional cases and theoretical frameworks on water will stand the test of time to become a seminal work and a set text for many courses. The substantive research and findings have no equal and stand no challenge for their excellence. -- Glen Segell

Author Bio

Dhirendra K. Vajpeyi is professor of political science at the University of Northern Iowa.
List of contributors: Brittany Brannon; Pia Malhotra-Arora; J. Henry Owusu; Sanghamitra Patnaik; Sheila Rai; Hillery L. Roach; Dhirendra K. Vajpeyi; Teagan E. Ward; Paul A. Williams