Intergovernmental activities to settle conflicts over shared bodies of water have had mixed success. However, the agreement has not been in effect since 1988, and water disputes remain a serious source of conflict. More significant headway has been made on talks between Jordan and Israel over the Jordan and Yarmuk Rivers and on shared groundwater resources. However, the lack of participation of Lebanon and Syria in these talks has made it difficult to reach comprehensive settlement on the use of water from the Jordan and Yarmuk Rivers. Cooperation between countries sharing the same water basin will become increasingly important as water becomes scarcer.
Reconciliation is cheaper than armed conflict.
A key to defusing potential international conflicts over water is national water policy reform to ensure the most efficient use of available water supplies. Countries must therefore begin the painful process of reforming national water policies and treating water as a scarce resource. The 2020 Briefs present information on various aspects of the issues.