Interdisciplinary Studies 400-C: ST: Water Security is National Security: The Geopolitics of a Thirsty World

Mark Twain was prescient when he said: "Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over." Water is the new oil and - just as oil has been the key resource over which nations have competed and fought in the 20th Century - so will water be in the 21st, as states, countries, and industries battle over this ever-more-precious resource in our increasingly thirsty world. This course explores the complex intersection of water resources, politics, and national security from community to global scale. Students will examine four case studies - the Mekong River Basin, Horn of Africa, Central Asia, and the US/Mexico transboundary watershed - to understand the complexities of water geopolitics; analyze existing and theoretical frameworks governing these contentious areas; and consider the policy and national security implications of water scarcity, management, and access in our increasingly hot and dry world. Graded Credit/No Credit. Distribution area: none.