Digging for Water, But Striking Oil

The volatile politics of the Middle East have long been dominated by the fluctuating fortunes of a single commodity: oil.

But when the oil-blessed region runs out of water, there could be a change in the political landscape, triggering potential conflicts. The world's future wars, experts predict, will be over water, not oil.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned last year that water shortages contribute not only to poverty but also cause social hardships and impede development.

More importantly, he warned "they create tensions in conflict-prone regions" (Read: Middle East). "And too often, where we need water, we find guns." (Read: Gulf nations, whose arms purchases, mostly funded by oil earnings, keep skyrocketing). The lingering economic paradox was perhaps best described by an unnamed Kuwaiti official who once remarked, "Whenever we dig for water, we strike oil."At the firstInternational Water Summit(IWS) in Abu Dhabi Wednesday, over 30,000 participants, including political and business leaders, met to formulate a strategy to underscore the importance of water for the political and economic stability of the region.

As Crown Prince, General Sheikh Mohammed bi Zayed Al Nahyan said Tuesday: "For the United Arab Emirates (UAE), water is (now) more important than oil."Munqeth Meyhar, chairman/Eco Peace, at Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME), told IPS the region has experienced many environmental concerns lately, including climate change. Water resources are becoming increasingly scarce, especially for the millions there who already lack access to fresh water.

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• Oil & Gas