Some 30 years ago, Boutros Boutros-Ghali – who went on to become UN Secretary General – predicted that the wars of the future would be fought over water. His prediction has not yet come true, but when we look at the various regions of the world, it is clear water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource that is indeed at the centre of many conflicts – or is at least exacerbating them significantly.

This is particularly true of the Middle East, one of the world’s most arid and unstable regions. The situation in the Gaza Strip is certainly dramatic, but unresolved water issues are also causing conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank, as Marc Frings and Johannes Lutz discuss in their contribution to the latest issue of the International Reports. The recent resurgence of the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Water Committee is a sign that both parties are prepared to take

pragmatic action. Nevertheless, there is a risk of further destabilization of the region if no mutually acceptable solution can be found to the water issue.

The whole issue and further information about the International Reports can be found at: /en/web/auslandsinformationen/ausgaben/issues/-/content/wasser.-macht.-konflikt.1