When Water Becomes a Strategic Weapon – Desalination Dependency, Geopolitics and Future of Water Security in the MENA
Abstract Water scarcity is increasingly recognized as one of the most critical systemic risks of the 21st century. Nowhere is this challenge more evident than in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the most water-stressed region in the world. In response to structural freshwater scarcity, several Gulf countries have developed extensive desalination infrastructures that now supply the majority of their drinking water. While desalination has enabled rapid urban and economic development in extremely arid environments, it has also introduced new strategic vulnerabilities by linking water security to energy infrastructure, maritime transport routes and geopolitical stability. This article analyzes the … Continue reading