Water Scarcity and Political Stability in the Arab World: A Comparative Study of Iraq and Jordan

Abstract

The thesis examines the multi-dimensional interplay between water scarcity and political stability in two hydrologically and politically different states in the Arab world, namely Iraq and Jordan. Although the water crisis in Iraq is caused by the disintegration of governance during the post-conflict period, upstream hydro-hegemony and environmental deterioration, Jordon helms extensive hydrological stress through adaptive governance, external financial support, and progressive institutional amendments. Based on a qualitative comparative approach and an environmentally based orientation, which outlines theories of environmental security, hydro-hegemony, and state capacity, this research suggests that water is not merely a resource but rather a variable in politics, as it influences regime legitimacy, public trust, and national cohesion. Taking consideration on the case studies of Iraq and Jordan, the thesis illustrates the different ways in which governance systems alter the effects of water stress leading to a varying political result, i.e., mass mobilization and fragile regimes in Iraq and managed scarcity and relative political stability in Jordan. The paper concludes by giving policy recommendations that would be useful on consolidating institutional resilience, facilitating transparent governance, and improving water cooperation in the region