Geopolitical Implications of Water and Food Security in Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries

Water and food security are of particular concern for the Mediterranean region where natural resources are under climate and population stress and agricultural production must cope with quality requirements imposed by consumers and their ever-changing consumption patterns. How to feed an increasing population and at the same time safeguard natural resources for future generations is a great challenge for this area. Water is key to food security because agriculture requires large quantities of water for irrigation and for many production processes. This paper examines water and food security issues in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries and their geopolitical implications. The chapter first gives an overview of the impact of global climatic change on water and food security in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries (hereinafter SEMCs) where climate unpredictability, linked to fluctuations in rainfall levels, affect lands used for cereal cultivation. Then, the discussion turns to the water-food nexus, stressing how water consumption in SEMCs is strictly linked to the production, consumption and trading system of agro-food products. The trade liberalization process, favoured by structural adjustment policies and by agreements with the European Union, has fostered specialization in the cultivation of highly water-intensive fruits and vegetables, despite the critical water supply of several of these countries. SEMCs are particularly vulnerable to price fluctuations on international markets due to their dependence on imports of basic foodstuffs. During the last years, the world has experienced many crises (economic crises, food crises, energy crises), often related to the diminishing of natural resources. Challenges like development, economic growth, stability, peace and security are strictly connected in a globalized world and affected by scarcity and pressure over natural resources. The chapter goes on to analyse the political repercussions of food security in SEMCs during the bread riots of the 1980s and the global food crises of 2008 and 2011, both of which contributed in some measure to the outburst of the Arab Spring. It also explores the geopolitical dimension of water and food security, suggesting alternative competition scenarios at the regional level, involving large international river basins and fossil water aquifers shared by various countries. Finally, some remarks are dedicated to sustainable agriculture and food security at the regional level, analysing the interdependence between SEMCs and European economies and the emerging strategy to strengthen Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in this field.