From West Africa to the Middle East, Water and the Rise of Insurgencies in the "Arc of Instability"

Mar 3, 2017 | Wilson Center
Washington, DC
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Water scarcity and conflict over freshwater resources have contributed to an “arc of instability” stretching from West Africa through the Maghreb and across the Mediterranean to the Middle East. Rural livelihoods are collapsing, displacing many, and violent extremist organizations like Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, and ISIS are gaining footholds in areas where governance is weak. As local communities demand better provisioning of water, insurgent groups, building on discontent, use water to finance their operations and as a weapon of war.

This panel will examine the causes of water conflict in the region, discuss implications for U.S. interests, and examine possible interventions to support better water governance.

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Organizer: Wilson Center Environmental Change and Security Program

When: 3 March 2017, 3-4:30 PM

Where: 

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004

This event is sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund.