Population control in environmentally fragile areas is a security concern, not just a human rights, economic well-being, or altruistic concern. The ability to rely more on industry and raw material processing is directly tied to free trade in the world's markets. The key contribution of free economies to environmental preservation is in the fostering of informed publics and sensible pricing mechanisms. The two are joined, but environmental degradation can be irreversible. If such degradation is stopped, economic prosperity and a gradual improvement in human rights performance are achievable.
Environmental preservation needs to be seen as a security issue in policy and strategy formulation.
Since the scarcity of water is a Middle East regional problem, UN involvement is needed to sponsor regional water management consortiums in the Middle East, with the concerted action and commitment of individual states. These plans should be the basis for international negotiations that could lead to development projects funded by the oil-producing states of the region. Although a coherent and comprehensive U.S. policy on population migration issues is needed, it is probably impossible to achieve politically. Probably the best the United States can hope for is some rough consensus in the international community on the urgency of the problem and the need for coordinated regional actions. The issue is whether such improvements mortgage the longer term by further degrading the environment.