Emerging Security Threats in the Middle East

This comprehensive analysis of the issues that destabilize the national and international politics of the Middle East. It is based on long and skilled observation of the problems of accessing secure water, energy and food supplies in the region. The authors bring the analysis right up to date by discussing the violent first and second decades of the twenty-first century. By deploying comprehensive securitization frame they effectively assist the reader to understand the variable intensity of regional conflict. They also link these dynamics with what has become known as the water, energy and food nexus. -- Prof. J. A. (Tony) Allan, Department of Geography, King's College London This is an important book that deserves the attention of anyone interested in the condition of the Middle East region and its impact on the world. The book's comprehensive overview of the underlying security challenges facing the Middle Eastincluding water, energy, arable land, urban sprawl, pollution, and demographic issueshighlights existential stresses that drive some current tensions and also threaten the region's future. If you wonder what issues the Middle East region and the world should address to lower tensions and promote stability in the decades ahead, Swain and Jgerskog's work is a compelling starting place. -- Rami G. Khouri, founding director and currently senior fellow, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, American University of Beirut

Ashok Swain is a professor in the Department of Peace and Conflict Research and the Department of Earth Sciences at Uppsala University, Sweden. Anders Jgerskog is counselor for Regional Water issues in the MENA region at the Embassy of Sweden in Amman, Jordan.

Chapter 1: Introduction: Middle East and Its New Sources of Insecurity Understanding Security in the Middle East Study of Security in the Middle East The Middle East Region International Actors and Regional Security in the Middle East The Rise and Fall of the Arab Spring and the Rise of the ISIS Future Security Threats: Emerging Scenarios Chapter 2: Achieving Food Security: A Critical Challenge Increasing Food demand in the Region Import and Export of Water from the Region Land Investments as a Strategy to Address Food Security Climate Change, Water Availability and Food Production Concluding Thoughts Chapter 3: Water Scarcity: Threat to Peace and Stability Water Scarcity and Water Governance in the Middle East Supply versus Demand Side Solutions High Degree of Shared Water Resources New Trends in the Region The Use of Water as a Weapon Connecting to Security Architecture Chapter 4. Energy Security and its Changing Dynamics in the Middle East Exporters of Crude Oil and Natural Gas Importers of Crude Oil and Natural Gas New Challenges and New Discoveries Moving out of Oil and Gas Trap Relying on Renewables Evaluating Regions Energy Security Scenario Chapter 5: Managing Large Population Migration Importance of Remittances and Challenges of Foreign Workers The Middle East: The Region of and for Refugees Migrants in the Middle East: More as Peace Wreckers than Peace Makers Chapter 6: Conclusion In Search of Sustainable Regional Security Four Fault Lines in Regional Security Structure Identifying Immediate Security Risks Region to Regain the Initiative