Today, disputes about water are quite many all over the world, particularly in the North and the South of Africa, In the Near East, in Central America …

In the Near East for example, there are dozens of places were tensions exist.

Likewise, Egypt which is entirely dependent on the Nile for its water resources, has yet to share these resources with ten other states of the Nile basin: particularly with Ethiopia and Sudan. As to Iraq, Syria and Turkey, their political and security relations are dependent on their agreement and cooperation to share and manage the water courses of the two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates. At last, water conflicts between Israel from one side and Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine from the other could weigh heavily on the peace process in the region.

With the demographic rise and the growth of needs, these tensions may multiply in the future. It is what some experts predict for the 21st century.

Today, experts and international organizations work together to find a consensus on water sharing in order to clear the places were tensions exist and consolidate peace and stability in the world, more particularly in the Near-East.

Shall water be a source of conflict or a pacifying factor in the Near and Middle East?

What are these countries’ tomorrow’s challenges to meet the needs of their populations?

In order to tell what it is all about these strategic issues, the Euro Arab Center for Studies and the Euro Mediterranean Institute organize on September 29th, 2011, in the framework of ”Dialogue de Paris“, a forum on the topic:

“Water, source of life or conflicts in the Near and Middle East”