Document Type : Applied Article
Authors
1 Department of Political Geography, Faculty of Geography, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
2 Water Research Institute, Ministry of Energy, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Social conflicts over water resources are one of the most important and growing challenges in today's society, rooted in the scarcity of water resources. With population growth, climate change, and a host of other factors, water resources have become limited, leading to social conflict and strife. This applied research has explained the scenarios resulting from the socio-political conflicts of Iraq’s water based on the hydropolitical relations between Iran and Iraq using a descriptive-analytical method and Mic Mac, Scenario Wizard, and Vensim software. The results of the research showed that ethnic tensions on both sides of the border, Turkey's dam construction on the branches of the Tigris and Euphrates, climate change, the level of attention to advanced technologies in water resource management, the dependence of livelihoods in western Iran and eastern Iraq on water resources, sustainable development, and paramilitary groups were selected as key variables affecting the hydropolitical relations between Iran and Iraq resulting from the social conflicts of water in Iraq. Imagining different states from critical to desirable for key variables, the scenario of hydropolitical relations between Iran and Iraq, resulting from social conflicts in Iraq, showed it to be critical. In this regard, strengthening hydrodiplomacy and regional cooperation; cooperation between Iran and Iraq to negotiate with Turkey to respect the rights of downstream countries; investment in new technologies for water resources management; the establishment of water-efficient industries in western Iran and eastern Iraq; and attention to the linkage of water, food, and energy in integrated water resources management were suggested as the most important solutions to prevent the creation of a critical situation.
Keywords
Main Subjects
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