Turkey, Syria and Iraq depend on the Tigris-Euphrates river system for their food and water security. Both rivers have contributed to interstate tension and hostility, and the region is yet to agree on a water-sharing mechanism that could lead to more amicable relations. As the region is currently undergoing a period of political turmoil, it is unlikely that an agreement will be forthcoming in the near future. As water has long been a source of tension between the three countries of the Tigris-Euphrates Basin, an agreement on the sharing of water resources will be a vital component in any effort designed to ensure long-term regional stability.

Key points

• The states that share the water resources of the Tigris-Euphrates Basin have come close to creating a water sharing agreement in the past, but narrow self-interest derailed the project.
• Current regional political crises were caused, in part, by heightened food and water insecurity that could be avoided by closer water management.
• Closer management of transboundary water resources could help avoid future socio-political volatility and foster more amicable relations between regional riparians.
• Low levels of goodwill between the three riparian states, and the uncertain political future of the region, suggest that a basin-wide agreement on managing transboundary surface water resources is unlikely in the near future.