Summary The article reviewed in this exercise addressed the rising risk of a water war in the Middle East. The article claimed that the counties in the Middle East lost 144 cubic kilometers of water between 2003 and 2009. This is equivalent to the water contained in the Dead Sea. The stakeholders affected by this water loss are the people living in the Middle East. While most of the problems in the region relate to oil, water is becoming a source of conflict. Since everyone needs water, the decline in water resources in the Middle East will affect everyone living there. The water wars of the Middle East will result from the threat to survival posed by lack of water. Population growth is also escalating the issue further. The population of the world grew from four billion in 1975 to seven billion. The areas experiencing rapid population growth include India, China, Africa, and South America. These regions will become vulnerable to water wars as time progresses. In addition, to them, the Middle East will also become tenser as water resources dwindle. The region is already volatile because of disputes related to oil. The political upheavals resulting from the Arab spring also served to make the region more volatile. Analysis of Article The picture that the article under review painted was one of gloom in the Middle East. The region is already dealing with complex issues associated with the oil industry. In addition, the region is suffering from the effects of the territorial conflict between Israel and Palestine. The main issue the article raised was the disappearance of a large quantity of water in the six-year period ending in 2009. The contextual issues surrounding the potential outbreak of a water war include the growing world population. These contextual issues also include the history of water wars. The number of water wars recorded in history is two hundred and twenty five. Half of these water wars took place in the last twenty years. This shows that there is a rapid escalation of tension in the entire world relating to water resources. The threat of war increases with a growing global population. The people that a water war in the Middle East will affect are the citizens of the countries in the region. The people who suffer most in times of conflict are women and children. This vulnerable group will suffer most in the event of a water war in the Middle East. In fact, long before the outbreak of an armed conflict, this group will suffer from the impacts of poor water distribution. These impacts will include disease outbreaks, malnutrition, and starvation. A water war in the Middle East will also have secondary impacts on the people who depend on the Middle East for supplies. The most important commodity that the Middle East exports to the rest of the world is oil. Therefore, a water war in the region will have an impact on the global oil industry. The contextual issues that would precipitate a water war include preexisting conflicts and the impacts of climate change. The Arab spring led to revolt by citizens of many Arab countries against their leaders. The region is still suffering from the effects of these uprisings. Countries such as Egypt are still working hard to contain protests and to rebuild national institutions. Syria on the other hand is e