The old saying that future wars will be fought over water, not oil, seems to be a terrifying truth year after year, especially in the Middle East and North Africa, which is one of the regions most affected by the global climate crisis.
This is what Bill True, the British Middle East correspondent for The Independent, sees in an article for the newspaper, as she explained that water has become an alarmingly scarce resource this year in particular, as wars, dilapidated infrastructure and unprecedented economic collapse have led It is similar to disruptions in the energy sector, which led to disastrous results, especially in light of the rise in temperatures to record levels.
The newspaper's correspondent highlighted that the water issue sparked unrest in many countries, from Sudan to Iran, and sparked a conflict between neighboring countries, and the matter is likely to escalate with the continuation of the difficult conditions experienced by some countries in the region and the advent of summer.
Tru stressed that the issue of water has become more urgent in light of the outbreak of the Corona pandemic and the fluctuations that most regions of the world are witnessing due to climate change;
This makes people's lack of access to safe drinking water an obstacle to efforts to stem the spread of the epidemic.
Lebanon
The writer said that it may be surprising that Lebanon - which is located on the shores of the Mediterranean, rich in forests, mountains and lakes - has become among the countries that suffer from a water crisis.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned Friday that the water supply network in Lebanon is on the verge of complete collapse.
The newspaper article stated that 4 million people - including one million refugees - may not have access to safe water within the next few weeks;
As the process of pumping water will gradually stop throughout the country.
According to the World Bank, Lebanon is facing - in addition to the water crisis - an economic collapse that is considered the worst in the world in the past 150 years.
The writer stated that the state in Lebanon is so bankrupt that it is no longer able to supply large parts of the country with electric power, even those who can pay for access to private generators have little power left due to the acute shortage of fuel needed for operation.
Iran
The Independent article referred to the recent unrest in Iran due to the water shortage crisis in the country, and quoted Amnesty International as saying that it verified footage proving the killing of 8 protesters as a result of the Iranian authorities' suppression of popular protests over the acute water shortage in the southwest of the country.
True, Iranians have taken to the streets in dozens of towns due to the escalating drought, and environmentalists say the state has failed to confront it, especially with temperatures soaring above 50 degrees at times.
Iraq
True noted that the lack of water prompted people in Iraq to organize protests, especially in the south of the country, where the dryness of Iraq's historical marshes continues, and the lack of water has caused frequent disputes between Iran and Iraq.
Iraq relies on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for its water needs, but Iran is building dams to redirect part of that water to its territory, which has caused a major water shortage in Mesopotamia.
The writer pointed out that similar disagreements emerged between Iraq and Turkey over rivers recently.
Syria
In Syria, the United Nations warned - according to the author - of severe droughts;
As the water levels are declining due to the receding water level in the Euphrates River.
Because of the water problem, Syria now ranks seventh on the global risk index for countries most vulnerable to human or natural disasters, which includes 191 countries.
The writer concluded that the best solution to confront this nightmare is to find solutions that contribute to mitigating the negative impact of the climate crisis, resolving conflicts and putting an end to the rampant corruption in some countries in the region.