DOCSLIB.ORG

Yarmouk Basin Basalt Aquifer System (West)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Yarmouk Basin Basalt Aquifer System (West) Chapter 21 Yarmouk Basin Basalt Aquifer System (West) INVENTORY OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN WESTERN ASIA (ONLINE VERSION) How to cite UN-ESCWA and BGR (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia; Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe). 2013. Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia. Beirut. CHAPTER 21- BASALT AQUIFER SYSTEM (WEST): YARMOUK BASIN Basalt Aquifer System (West) Yarmouk Basin EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BASIN FACTS The Yarmouk Basin constitutes the western RIPARIAN COUNTRIES Jordan, Syria section of the Basalt Aquifer Complex. It extends between the Jebel al Arab Mountain, the Hauran ALTERNATIVE NAMES - Plateau and the south-eastern foothills of RENEWABILITY High Mount Hermon. In the south-west, the Basalt Aquifer stretches into the Golan Heights to Lake HYDRAULIC LINKAGE Medium (20-100 mm/yr) Tiberias. WITH SURFACE WATER Groundwater flow is generally directed from ROCK TYPE Fractured to mixed topographically higher catchments to the major AQUIFER TYPE Unconfined discharge zone around Wadi Hreer-Mzeirib in the Yarmouk Basin, while the western part of EXTENT ~7,000 km2 the Golan Heights drains towards Lake Tiberias. Neogene-Quaternary, Paleogene Groundwater discharge in the Yarmouk Basin AGE (Upper Cretaceous) appears to be largely maintained by present- day recharge over wide catchment areas, with LITHOLOGY Basalt, limestone travel periods of several thousands of years. The main aquifer system in the basin comprises THICKNESS <100 m - >300 m permeable layers in Neogene-Quaternary AVERAGE ANNUAL basalts and the underlying sedimentary .. ABSTRACTION rocks (Paleogene and/or Upper Cretaceous formations, depending on the lithostratigraphy STORAGE .. of the sequence), which are hydraulically connected with the basalts. WATER QUALITY Mainly fresh WATER USE Agricultural and domestic Groundwater and surface water are closely interlinked in this region and the Basalt Aquifer Groundwater-related provisions in constitutes an important source of water for the 1987 agreement regarding the AGREEMENTS the Yarmouk River and the Jordan Basin as a utilization of the waters of the whole. Large-scale expansion of groundwater Yarmouk River abstraction in some parts of the Yarmouk Basin is likely to have affected natural flow and Over-exploitation of groundwater, discharge patterns within a larger radius and SUSTAINABILITY reduced spring flow in discharge zone, local may have contributed to the hydrological decline groundwater pollution of the Yarmouk River. This has long been a point of conflict between Jordanian and Syrian authorities. 510 INVENTORY OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN WESTERN ASIA - PART 2 OVERVIEW MAP ! ! !H ! ! 36°E ! ! Damascus ! ! Wadi Liwa ! # ! ! M o u n t H ! ! Turkey ! ! ! ! ! ! L e b a n o n Iran ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Syria ! ! ! Lebanon ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! !!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! Damascus Basin ! ! ! ! ! Palestine Iraq ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Israel Jordan ! ! ! ! ! Kuwait ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Saudi Arabia ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Quneytra ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! Wadi ! ! ! ! ! ! ! S y r i a Jordan Golan ! ! ! ! ! ! Hreer ! ! Basin ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! Leja Plateau! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Allan ! ! ! Raqqad ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! Wadi ! ! ! Wadi ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Ezraa ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Arram ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Lake ! ! Wadi ! Yarmouk ! ! ! Tiberias ! ! ! ! Yarmouk Basin ! ! ! ! ! As Suwayda ! Zeizoun ! ! ! ! Hammad ! Wadi ! ! ! ! ! ! Dhahab # ! ! ! ! ! ! Basin ! ! Jebel al Arab ! Arab ! ! I s r a e l ! !! Dar'a ! Wadi ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Wadi Zeydi ! ! ! ! ! Irbid ! ! ! ! ! ! Bosra ! Hauran Plain ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!! ! ! ! ! ! ! Jordan ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Ajloun ! !!!! ! !!! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!! ! ! ! ! ! Mafraq ! ! Ramtha-Wadi Sirhan Fault Jerash ! ! ! ! ! ! Azraq-Dhuleil Basin ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! P a l e s t i n e ! J o r d a n ! ! ! ! (West Bank) ! ! ! Wadi Zarqa ! ! Wadi ! ! Dhuleil ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Amman Zarqa Basin ! ! Dhuleil ! ! ! ! Zarqa ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 0 10 20 40 ! ! 32°N ! ! ! 32°N ! ! ! ! km ! ! Amman ! ! ! ! ! !H ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!! ! ! ! ! ! Amman! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Basalt Aquifer System (West): Yarmouk Basin ! Azraq ! !!! !H ! Capital Quaternary volcanics ! ! ! ! Selected city, town Neogene volcanics ! ! ! International boundary Quaternary-Neogene undifferentiated ! Inventory of Shared Water Armistice Demarcation Line !! Paleogene (Wadi Shallala and Umm Rijam Fms) Resources in Western Asia ! ! River Cretaceous (Amman and Wadi as Sir Fms) ! ! ! Disclaimer ! Intermittent river, wadi Pre-Cambrian outcrops ! The designations employed and the presentation of material ! on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion ! Freshwater lake Direction of groundwater flow in Yarmouk Basin ! whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United ! Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, ! ! city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation ! # ! Mountain of its frontiers or boundaries. ! ! !! ! ! ! ! Boundary of Yarmouk Basin Graben ! !! ! ! ! ! Basin boundary © UN-ESCWA - BGR Beirut 2013 511 CHAPTER 21- BASALT AQUIFER SYSTEM (WEST): YARMOUK BASIN CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 514 Location 515 Area 515 Climate 515 Population 515 Other aquifers in the area 515 Information sources 515 HYDROGEOLOGY - AQUIFER CHARACTERISTICS 516 Aquifer configuration 516 Stratigraphy 516 Aquifer thickness 517 Aquifer type 517 Aquifer parameters 517 HYDROGEOLOGY - GROUNDWATER 519 Recharge 519 Flow regime 519 Storage 519 Discharge 519 Water quality 520 Exploitability 521 GROUNDWATER USE 522 Groundwater abstraction and use 522 Groundwater quality issues 522 Sustainability issues 522 AGREEMENTS, COOPERATION & OUTLOOK 524 Agreements 524 Cooperation 524 Outlook 524 NOTES 525 BIBLIOGRAPHY 526 512 INVENTORY OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN WESTERN ASIA - PART 2 FIGURES Schematic geological cross-section through the Jebel al Arab FIGURE 1. 516 Mountain range Groundwater salinity and groundwater level map – Basalt Aquifer FIGURE 2. 520 System Groundwater use and irrigated areas in the Yarmouk Basin in Syria FIGURE 3. 522 (1999-2009) TABLES Lithostratigraphy of volcanic and sedimentary formations in the TABLE 1. 517 Basalt Aquifer Complex TABLE 2. Mean annual discharge of major springs in the Yarmouk Basin 520 BOXES BOX 1. The Golan Heights 523 513 CHAPTER 21- BASALT AQUIFER SYSTEM (WEST): YARMOUK BASIN INTRODUCTION The Basalt Aquifer System in this Inventory The Quaternary-Neogene basalts of the North Arabian Volcanic Azraq-Dhuleil Basin Province extend from south-western Syria through eastern Jordan The basin2 extends across the border of Syria and Jordan, and the into Saudi Arabia over a total length of around 460 km and with a aquifer system within the basin is referred to as the Basalt Aquifer width of 50-150 km. System (South-East) (see Chap. 22). In the basin, the basalts They cover an area of approximately 48,000 km2, of which are hydraulically connected with the Paleogene (Shallala-Rijam) 11,000 km2 is located in Jordan, 23,000 km2 in Saudi Arabia and formations in the eastern areas and the Cretaceous (Amman-Wadi 14,000 km2 in Syria. The basalts generally overlie sedimentary as Sir) formations in the western areas to form one aquifer system formations of Paleogene and Cretaceous ages (Figure 1) and are with both formations. hydraulically connected with them to form a complex aquifer system that is denoted as the Basalt Aquifer Complex in the Wadi Sirhan Basin 1 Inventory. This volcano-sedimentary complex extends across the The basin extends across the border of Jordan and Saudi Arabia boundaries of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria (see ‘Overview and and the aquifer system within the basin is denoted as the Tawil- Methodology: Groundwater’ chapter) to constitute shared aquifer Quaternary Aquifer System (see Chap. 17). In the basin, the systems in the following basins: Quaternary-Neogene basalts and alluvium form the upper part of a thick aquifer system that comprises both the Paleogene and Yarmouk Basin Cretaceous (Tawil-Sharawra) formations. The basin extends across the border of Syria and Jordan and the aquifer system within the basin is denoted as the Basalt Aquifer The Basalt Aquifer Complex, which was originally delineated on System (West) (see current chapter). In the basin, the basalts the basis of surface drainage and morphology, comprises three generally overlie the Paleogene (Shallala-Rijam) formations, other basins that are of less relevance as shared aquifers. They except in certain structurally high locations where the Paleogene are therefore not covered in separate chapters in this Inventory. 3 is missing and the basalts come in direct contact with the The Golan Basin and Damascus Basin lie entirely in Syria, the Cretaceous (Amman-Wadi as Sir) formations. Amman-Zarqa Basin lies entirely in Jordan while the basalts in the Hammad Basin are practically dewatered.4 Basalt Desert, Jordan, 2005. Source: Robert Bewley, Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East. 514 INVENTORY OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN WESTERN ASIA - PART 2 Introduction LOCATION Mafraq), the boundary of the Basalt Aquifer is formed by the limit of the extent of the saturated The Basalt Aquifer System (West), hereafter aquifer. referred to as the Yarmouk Basin, covers wide areas of south-western Syria and a smaller area Based on surface topography, the Yarmouk
Load more

Recommended publications
  • UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Transnational Rebellion: The Syrian Revolt of 1925-1927 Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/99q9f2k0 Author Bailony, Reem Publication Date 2015 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Transnational Rebellion: The Syrian Revolt of 1925-1927 A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in History by Reem Bailony 2015 © Copyright by Reem Bailony 2015 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Transnational Rebellion: The Syrian Revolt of 1925-1927 by Reem Bailony Doctor of Philosophy in History University of California, Los Angeles, 2015 Professor James L. Gelvin, Chair This dissertation explores the transnational dimensions of the Syrian Revolt of 1925-1927. By including the activities of Syrian migrants in Egypt, Europe and the Americas, this study moves away from state-centric histories of the anti-French rebellion. Though they lived far away from the battlefields of Syria and Lebanon, migrants championed, contested, debated, and imagined the rebellion from all corners of the mahjar (or diaspora). Skeptics and supporters organized petition campaigns, solicited financial aid for rebels and civilians alike, and partook in various meetings and conferences abroad. Syrians abroad also clandestinely coordinated with rebel leaders for the transfer of weapons and funds, as well as offered strategic advice based on the political climates in Paris and Geneva. Moreover, key émigré figures played a significant role in defining the revolt, determining its goals, and formulating its program. By situating the revolt in the broader internationalism of the 1920s, this study brings to life the hitherto neglected role migrants played in bridging the local and global, the national and international.
    [Show full text]
  • Deficient Developmental Planning Leading to Water Conflicts Across Political Borders: the Way Forward
    Engineering, 2021, 13, 158-172 https://www.scirp.org/journal/eng ISSN Online: 1947-394X ISSN Print: 1947-3931 Deficient Developmental Planning Leading to Water Conflicts across Political Borders: The Way Forward Elias Salameh1, Nadhir Al-Ansari2* 1University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan 2Lulea University of Technology, Lulea, Sweden How to cite this paper: Salameh, E. and Abstract Al-Ansari, N. (2021) Deficient Developmental Planning Leading to Water Conflicts across In this article, Turkey, Iran and Syria in the Middle East area are taken as Political Borders: The Way Forward. Engi- examples for deficient planning and development of water resources shared neering, 13, 158-172. with their downstream countries resulting in severe social, economic and polit- https://doi.org/10.4236/eng.2021.133012 ical percussions to these neighbors. The current situation in the Middle East Received: February 24, 2021 with wars against terrorism, uprising of population groups, and COVID-19 Accepted: March 22, 2021 Pandemic have not allowed the affected countries Jordan, Iraq and Syria to Published: March 25, 2021 properly react to the assaults of upstream water development and diversions Copyright © 2021 by author(s) and on their fair shares in the transboundary waters. The rivers’ upstream deve- Scientific Research Publishing Inc. lopmental schemes have not taken advantages of recent advanced technolo- This work is licensed under the Creative gical knowhow of water efficient development and use, seemingly because the Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). arising water problems and catastrophes will not affect these upstream coun- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ tries, but their downstream neighbors.
    [Show full text]
  • Byzantine Missionaries, Foreign Rulers, and Christian Narratives (Ca
    Conversion and Empire: Byzantine Missionaries, Foreign Rulers, and Christian Narratives (ca. 300-900) by Alexander Borislavov Angelov A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) in The University of Michigan 2011 Doctoral Committee: Professor John V.A. Fine, Jr., Chair Professor Emeritus H. Don Cameron Professor Paul Christopher Johnson Professor Raymond H. Van Dam Associate Professor Diane Owen Hughes © Alexander Borislavov Angelov 2011 To my mother Irina with all my love and gratitude ii Acknowledgements To put in words deepest feelings of gratitude to so many people and for so many things is to reflect on various encounters and influences. In a sense, it is to sketch out a singular narrative but of many personal “conversions.” So now, being here, I am looking back, and it all seems so clear and obvious. But, it is the historian in me that realizes best the numerous situations, emotions, and dilemmas that brought me where I am. I feel so profoundly thankful for a journey that even I, obsessed with planning, could not have fully anticipated. In a final analysis, as my dissertation grew so did I, but neither could have become better without the presence of the people or the institutions that I feel so fortunate to be able to acknowledge here. At the University of Michigan, I first thank my mentor John Fine for his tremendous academic support over the years, for his friendship always present when most needed, and for best illustrating to me how true knowledge does in fact produce better humanity.
    [Show full text]
  • Northern Africa Western Asia Fact Sheet MA
    Arab States and Northern Africa fact sheet – 2020 GEM Report Please note that this factsheet only contains some of the mentions from the region. The full Report and all regional mentions can be found here: Bit.ly/2020gemreport Embargo : 23 June Headline statistic: 20% of countries in the region did not target the marginalised in their education response to Covid-19 Persistent exclusion • 17 million children and youth are entirely excluded from education in the region, with poverty the main constraint to access. • The stateless bidoon in the Gulf countries have difficulty gaining access to education • Pre-primary: Djibouti has the world’s lowest early childhood education participation rate. Morocco lacks a public pre-primary education system; the share of private institutions, mostly attached to mosques, in total enrolment was 87% in 2018, and enrolment levels have stagnated over the past two decades. • Refugees are taught in parallel education systems. Sahrawi refugees in Algeria have a separate education system and curriculum. Malian refugees in refugee camps in Mauritania still follow the Malian curriculum • Exclusion can happen inside school walls as well: In Yemen, children of the Muhamasheen, a historically marginalized social group associated with garbage collection, face persistent discrimination, abuse by teachers and bullying by peers • Over 30% of children feel like outsiders in school in Jordan and Qatar • 57% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth felt unsafe in school Inequitable foundations: Alongside today’s new Report, the GEM Report has launched a new website, PEER, with descriptions of laws and policies on inclusion in education for every country in the world.
    [Show full text]
  • By Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Of
    FROM DIWAN TO PALACE: JORDANIAN TRIBAL POLITICS AND ELECTIONS by LAURA C. WEIR Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Adviser: Dr. Pete Moore Department of Political Science CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY January, 2013 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We hereby approve the thesis/dissertation of Laura Weir candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree *. Pete Moore, Ph.D (chair of the committee) Vincent E. McHale, Ph.D. Kelly McMann, Ph.D. Neda Zawahri, Ph.D. (date) October 19, 2012 *We also certify that written approval has been obtained for any proprietary material contained therein. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables v List of Maps and Illustrations viii List of Abbreviations x CHAPTERS 1. RESEARCH PUZZLE AND QUESTIONS Introduction 1 Literature Review 6 Tribal Politics and Elections 11 Case Study 21 Potential Challenges of the Study 30 Conclusion 35 2. THE HISTORY OF THE JORDANIAN ―STATE IN SOCIETY‖ Introduction 38 The First Wave: Early Development, pre-1921 40 The Second Wave: The Arab Revolt and the British, 1921-1946 46 The Third Wave: Ideological and Regional Threats, 1946-1967 56 The Fourth Wave: The 1967 War and Black September, 1967-1970 61 Conclusion 66 3. SCARCE RESOURCES: THE STATE, TRIBAL POLITICS, AND OPPOSITION GROUPS Introduction 68 How Tribal Politics Work 71 State Institutions 81 iii Good Governance Challenges 92 Guests in Our Country: The Palestinian Jordanians 101 4. THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES: FAILURE OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE RISE OF TRIBAL POLITICS Introduction 118 Political Threats and Opportunities, 1921-1970 125 The Political Significance of Black September 139 Tribes and Parties, 1989-2007 141 The Muslim Brotherhood 146 Conclusion 152 5.
    [Show full text]
  • Shared Waters – Shared Opportunities World Water Day March 22 Transboundary Waters in the ESCWA Region
    Distr. LIMITED E/ESCWA/SDPD/2009/Technical material.1 2 March 2009 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA (ESCWA) Shared Waters – Shared Opportunities World Water Day March 22 Transboundary Waters in the ESCWA Region UNITED NATIONS ESCWA The designations employed and the presentation of material on the maps contained herein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. 09-0104 Abbreviations Used In Map Credits CNRSL Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research GORS General Organization of Remote Sensing BGR Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources Introduction Shared water is a vital resource for many people around the world. In the ESCWA region, major shared rivers include the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates and Jordan. Many less well-known underground water reservoirs are also shared. Opportunities for negotiation and mutually beneficial use of water also exist in riparian countries, many based on principles of international law and resolutions on shared water. This fact sheet opens with an outline of the general principles of international water law and the major international conventions on shared water, before delineating the major transboundary river basins and shared water aquifers in the ESCWA region. In highlighting some of the most important transboundary water bodies in the region, it is hoped that increased focus and renewed effort will be exerted in creating cooperative agreements for better management of our most precious resource – water.
    [Show full text]
  • Architectural and Functional/Liturgical Development of the North-West Church in Hippos (Sussita) 148 JOLANTA MŁYNARCZYK
    CENTRE D’ARCHÉOLOGIE MÉDITERRANÉENNE DE L’ACADÉMIE POLONAISE DES SCIENCES ÉTUDES et TRAVAUX XXII 2008 JOLANTA MŁYNARCZYK Architectural and Functional/Liturgical Development of the North-West Church in Hippos (Sussita) 148 JOLANTA MŁYNARCZYK In July 2007, the eighth season of excavations was completed at the so-called North- West Church at Hippos (Sussita), one of the cities of the Decapolis. The church was explored by a Polish team within the framework of an international project devoted to the unearth- ing of the remains of that Graeco-Roman and Byzantine-Umayyad period town, headed by Arthur Segal of the University of Haifa. Despite the fact that as many as four churches have so far been uncovered at Sussita,1 it is only the North-West Church (NWC) that became one of the examples discussed by A. Ovadiah in his paper listing Byzantine-peri- od churches excavated within the borders of the present-day Israel, in which architectural changes apparently refl ect some liturgical modifi cations.2 Unfortunately, A. Ovadiah’s interpretation of the NWC (published in 2005) not only was based on the reports of the early seasons of our fi eldwork (2002, 2003), but also proved to be rather superfi cial one, a fact which calls for a careful re-examination of the excavation data. Perhaps the most important fact about the NWC is that this has been one of rare in- stances attested for the region of a church that was still active as such during the Um- ayyad period. Archaeological contexts sealed by the earthquake of A.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Common Misconceptions and Stereotypes About the Middle East
    Common Misconceptions and Stereotypes about the Middle East The Middle East does not have clear-cut boundaries. There are cross-cultural connections that stretch from North Africa through Western Asia into Central Asia. The most basic map of the Middle The Middle East is a clearly defined East includes Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi place. Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. People in the Middle East live as nomads. Very few people in the Middle East live as nomads. The Middle East is quite urbanized and has some of the oldest cities in the world. There is nothing but desert and oil in 60% of the region’s population lives in major cities such as the Middle East. Damascus, Istanbul and Cairo. Ancient Middle Eastern kingdoms such as Sumer, Babylon and Egypt were all cradles for western The Middle East and the Islamic World civilization. are the same. Everyone in the Middle East speaks There is more than desert and oil in the Middle East. The geography of the Middle East is diverse and includes everything from fertile Arabic. river deltas and forests, to mountain ranges and arid plateaus. Some Everyone in the Middle East is Muslim. countries in the Middle East are oil rich, while others have little or no All Arabs are Muslim. oil reserves. Violence in the Middle East is The Middle East and the Islamic World are not the same. While inevitable. Islam first developed in the Arabian Peninsula and Arabic is its Everyone in the Middle East hates the liturgical language, the majority of the world’s Muslims are not Arab and live outside the Middle East.
    [Show full text]
  • The Blue Peace – Rethinking Middle East Water
    With support from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sweden Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Switzerland Political Affairs Div IV of the Federal Dept of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland C-306, Montana, Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri West, Mumbai 400 053, India Email: [email protected] Author : Sundeep Waslekar Project Director : Ilmas Futehally Project Coordinator and Principal Researcher : Ambika Vishwanath Research Analyst : Gitanjali Bakshi Creative Head : Preeti Rathi Motwani Research Advice and Review Group: Dr. Aysegul Kibaroglu (Turkey) Dr. Faisal Rifai (Syria) Dr. Marwan Haddad (Palestine Territories) Dr. Mohamed Saidam (Jordan) Prof. Muqdad Ali Al-Jabbari (Iraq) Dr. Selim Catafago (Lebanon) Eng. Shimon Tal (Israel) Project Advisory Group: Dr. Francois Muenger (Switzerland) Amb. Jean-Daniel Ruch (Switzerland) Mr. Dag Juhlin-Danfeld (Sweden) SFG expresses its gratitude to the Government of Sweden, Government of Switzerland, their agencies and departments, other supporters of the project, and members of the Research Advice and Review Group, for their cooperation in various forms. However, the analysis and views expressed in this report are of the Strategic Foresight Group only and do not in any way, direct or indirect, reflect any agreement, endorsement, or approval by any of the supporting organisations or their officials or by the experts associated with the review process or any other institutions or individuals. Copyright © Strategic Foresight Group 2011 ISBN 978-81-88262-14-4 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • Good News & Information Sites
    Written Testimony of Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein1 Hearing on: A NEW HORIZON IN U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONS: FROM AN AMERICAN EMBASSY IN JERUSALEM TO POTENTIAL RECOGNITION OF ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE GOLAN HEIGHTS Before the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security Tuesday July 17, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2154 Chairman Ron DeSantis (R-FL) Ranking Member Stephen Lynch (D-MA) Introduction & Summary Chairman DeSantis, Vice Chairman Russell, Ranking Member Lynch, and Members of the Committee: Thank you for holding this hearing to discuss the potential for American recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, in furtherance of U.S. national security interests. Israeli sovereignty over the western two-thirds of the Golan Heights is a key bulwark against radical regimes and affiliates that threaten the security and stability of the United States, Israel, the entire Middle East region, and beyond. The Golan Heights consists of strategically-located high ground, that provides Israel with an irreplaceable ability to monitor and take counter-measures against growing threats at and near the Syrian-Israel border. These growing threats include the extremely dangerous hegemonic expansion of the Iranian-Syrian-North Korean axis; and the presence in Syria, close to the Israeli border, of: Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Quds forces; thousands of Iranian-armed Hezbollah fighters; Palestinian Islamic Jihad (another Iranian proxy); Syrian forces; and radical Sunni Islamist groups including the al Nusra Levantine Conquest Front (an incarnation of al Qaeda) and ISIS. The Iranian regime is attempting to build an 800-mile land bridge to the Mediterranean, running through Iraq and Syria.
    [Show full text]
  • The Hydropolitical Baseline of the Upper Jordan River
    "# ! #$"%!&# '& %!!&! !"#$ %& ' ( ) *$ +,-*.+ / %&0 ! "# " ! "# "" $%%&!' "# "( %! ") "* !"+ "# ! ", ( %%&! "- (" %&!"- (( .
    [Show full text]
  • Cooperation Among Adversaries. Regionalism in the Middle East
    Cooperation among adversaries. Regionalism in the Middle East. Master (M.A) in Advanced European and International Studies Trilingual Branch. Academic year 2009/10 Author: Supervisors: Katarzyna Krókowska Dagmar Röttsches – Dubois Matthias Wächter 1 Cooperation among adversaries. Regionalism in the Middle East. Katarzyna Krókowska Master (M.A) in Advanced European and International Studies Centre International de Formation Européenne Institut Européen des Hautes Études Internationales Trilingual Branch. Academic year 2009/10 Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................... 3 Structure of the thesis ........................................................................................................... 7 Understanding and explaining regional cooperation .................................................. 8 Chapter 1: International Relations theory: approaches to understanding regional cooperation .................................................................................................. 11 Realism ............................................................................................................................................................ 12 Transactionalism ........................................................................................................................................ 15 Game Theory ................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]