Uploaded September 2023 | Updated September 2026, 10 minutes ago
Climate change severely impacts water supply, food security, migration, and natural resource in the Levant. Water governance in particular is a main challenge for Middle Eastern nations. Severe weather events, such as droughts and excess rainfall leading to floods, exacerbate the effects of water scarcity which are driven by population growth, increasing agricultural demand, deteriorating water infrastructure, and poor water management in the farming sector. These pressures undermine economic prospects and social cohesion, increasing the risk of local conflicts and diplomatic tensions between states along shared rivers.
The CASCADES workshop held in Istanbul in May brought together experts and stakeholders from the region and beyond to discuss approaches to addressing the nexus between climate change, water resources, development, migration, and (human) security in the Levant region. Participants exchanged views on how sustainable development can be advanced in response to climate change and which role the EU can play as stakeholder. This video offers an overview of their discussions.
This video features Ruth Townend, research fellow with the Environment and Society Programme at Chatham House, Aysegül Kibaroglu, Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at MEF University in Istanbul, and Joris Heeren, Head of Section for Foreign Policy Instruments at the EU Delegation in Beirut.
CASCADES is a research consortium funded under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 821010. The consortium combines leading expertise in climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation, international trade and commodity flows, foreign policy and security, and finance and business, with deep knowledge and proven experience of working with – and advising – stakeholders from private sectors, public policy and civil society.
Produced by: Hélène Franchineau
Interviews and direction: Jakob Gomolka, adelphi
© adelphi research, all rights reserved
adelphi research (adelphi-research.de/en) is an independent think tank for environmental and development policy research and analysis. Our mission is to enable transformative change and to create a sustainable future for generations to come.
Climate change severely impacts water supply, food security, migration, and natural resource in the Levant. Water governance in particular is a main challenge for Middle Eastern nations. Severe weather events, such as droughts and excess rainfall leading to floods, exacerbate the effects of water scarcity which are driven by population growth, increasing agricultural demand, deteriorating water infrastructure, and poor water management in the farming sector. These pressures undermine economic prospects and social cohesion, increasing the risk of local conflicts and diplomatic tensions between states along shared rivers.
The CASCADES workshop held in Istanbul in May brought together experts and stakeholders from the region and beyond to discuss approaches to addressing the nexus between climate change, water resources, development, migration, and (human) security in the Levant region. Participants exchanged views on how sustainable development can be advanced in response to climate change and which role the EU can play as stakeholder. This video offers an overview of their discussions.
This video features Ruth Townend, research fellow with the Environment and Society Programme at Chatham House, Aysegül Kibaroglu, Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at MEF University in Istanbul, and Joris Heeren, Head of Section for Foreign Policy Instruments at the EU Delegation in Beirut.
CASCADES is a research consortium funded under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 821010. The consortium combines leading expertise in climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation, international trade and commodity flows, foreign policy and security, and finance and business, with deep knowledge and proven experience of working with – and advising – stakeholders from private sectors, public policy and civil society.
Produced by: Hélène Franchineau
Interviews and direction: Jakob Gomolka, adelphi
© adelphi research, all rights reserved
adelphi research (adelphi-research.de/en) is an independent think tank for environmental and development policy research and analysis. Our mission is to enable transformative change and to create a sustainable future for generations to come.
