TheThe securitizationsecuritization ofof thethe DisiDisi Aquifer:Aquifer: aa silentsilent conflictconflict betweenbetween JordanJordan andand SaudiSaudi ArabiaArabia DisiDisi isis

¾ AA sharedshared groundwatergroundwater basinbasin ¾ AA nonnon renewablerenewable aquiferaquifer ¾ AA projectproject withwith aa heavyheavy environmentalenvironmental impactimpact ¾ FarFar fromfrom AmmanAmman andand consequentlyconsequently costlycostly OurOur theoreticaltheoretical toolstools

¾¾ TheThe securitizationsecuritization continuumcontinuum

Non- Politicised Securitized Violised politicised

¾¾TheThe SanctionedSanctioned discoursediscourse ¾¾TheThe hydraulichydraulic missionmission conceptconcept ¾¾TheThe conceptconcept ofof “non“non violentviolent conflict”conflict” ¾¾SilenceSilence asas aa methodmethod ofof controlcontrol && powerpower ¾¾PriorPrior useuse conceptconcept WhyWhy DisiDisi??

¾¾JordanJordan isis oneone ofof thethe countriescountries locatedlocated withinwithin Israel’sIsrael’s hegemonichegemonic areaarea ¾¾AsAs aa consequenceconsequence ofof thisthis ,Jordan,Jordan chosechose thethe optionoption toto embarkembark onon aa conflictconflict withwith SaudiSaudi ArabiaArabia thanthan openingopening aa newnew bargainingbargaining processprocess withwith IsraelIsrael ¾¾DisiDisi isis thereforetherefore anan effecteffect ofof dominancedominance dependingdepending onon thethe IsraeliIsraeli “hydro“hydro--HegemonHegemon status”status” TheThe politicizationpoliticization phasephase

¾ Disi was discovered in 1984 and until the 1990s geological and hydro-chemical surveys were the only studies available on the subject ¾ During the 1990s the Disi aquifer was targeted as a short-term solution by Jordan, due to the political unfeasibility of bigger projects at a regional level (Unity Dam, Red-Dead Canal) ¾ Disi starts to be considered as a international political issue. A “groundwater conflict” and a “pumping race” with Saudi Arabia is feared (Shapland 1997) TheThe securitizationsecuritization phasephase “ An issue may be securitised by the performance of the speech act of inscribing that issue with meaning as part of the security politics ” Neumann 1998

¾ Jordan accuses Saudi Arabia of over-exploitation in 1992 and 1999, with no official reply from the Saudi Government ¾ In 2002 the Minister of Water and Irrigation declared that Disi was part of the National Security Issue. As such, the project was set by the Ministry of Water as a first priority for 2002 ¾ Between 2002 and 2004 the accessibility to the environmental feasibility studies has been blocked ¾ The data regarding the renewability of the aquifer, its capacity and the proposed pumping rate have been secreted. The narrative and the securitisation continuum of Disi project

Jordan accuses Disi is declared Saudi Arabia of a national over-exploitation security issue (1992 and 1999) and, therefore, it Event is silenced

Securitisation Politicisation 2002-2004 Process 1990’s

Non-politicised Politicised Securitised violised Phase & silenced

De- Process securitisation

Event

: Phases / : Processes / : Events WhyWhy aa silencedsilenced securitization?securitization?

¾ AA silencedsilenced securitizationsecuritization isis usefuluseful inin thethe casecase youyou prepareprepare yourselfyourself toto exploitexploit thethe principleprinciple ofof “prior“prior use”.use”. ¾ ThisThis principleprinciple statesstatesSecuritised thatthat ,, inin thethe casecase ofof aa waterwater agreement,agreement, aa statestate shallshall bebe entitledentitled toto thethe samesame amountamount ofof waterwater &usuallyusually silenced exploitedexploited inin thethe pastpast times.times. ¾ AA statestate triestries toto pumppump moremore waterwater thanthan usualusual inin orderorder toto claimclaim aa majormajor quantityquantity ofof thethe resource,resource, inin casecase itit willwill faceface aa bargainingbargaining processprocess thatthat willwill leadlead toto anan agreementagreement withwith aa coco--riparianriparian state.state. ConclusionsConclusions

¾ DisiDisi cancan bebe putput inin thethe listlist ofof nonnon--violentviolent conflictsconflicts runningrunning overover sharedshared waterswaters ¾ DisiDisi projectproject isis currentlycurrently beingbeing securitizedsecuritized byby thethe JordanianJordanian GovernmentGovernment ¾ TheThe conflictconflict isis beingbeing silencedsilenced byby bothboth JordanJordan andand SaudiSaudi ArabiaArabia ¾ AA silencesilence asas aa methodmethod ofof controlcontrol andand powerpower isis herehere suggestedsuggested asas aa tooltool forfor futurefuture analysisanalysis inin thethe fieldfield ofof waterwater conflictsconflicts THETHE FUTUREFUTURE WhishingWhishing well:well: waitingwaiting forfor desecuritisationdesecuritisation?? ““DesecuritisationDesecuritisation ofof waterwater resourceresource managementmanagement isis aa healthyhealthy manifestation,manifestation, becausebecause itit opensopens upup thethe discoursediscourse andand allowsallows aa widerwider rangerange ofof roleplayersroleplayers toto becomebecome involvedinvolved inin thethe resolutionresolution ofof thethe corecore problem.problem. ThisThis tendstends toto fosterfoster institutionalinstitutional developmentdevelopment andand manifestmanifest asas aa winwin--winwin outcome,outcome, whichwhich isis inherentlyinherently moremore conduciveconducive toto economiceconomic growthgrowth andand hencehence positivepositive peace”.peace”. (Turton(Turton 2003).2003). ThankThank youyou !!

ThisThis researchresearch hashas beenbeen possiblepossible thanksthanks toto thethe fundingfunding ofof CNRCNR –– ItalianItalian CentreCentre ofof NationalNational ResearchResearch –– ISSMISSM-- NaplesNaples-- ItalyItaly