How the Iran war is threatening water security in the Gulf

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of geopolitical tensions on water security and food supply in the Gulf region.

Water infrastructure, supply chains and agriculture are now increasingly exposed to geopolitical shocks. As the US-Israeli war on Iran led to attacks on infrastructure across the region, attention is shifting to the energy-water-food nexus, a tightly interconnected system where disruption in one area quickly cascades into others. In the Gulf, where countries rely on desalination for up to 90 per cent of their drinking water and import the majority of their food, these vulnerabilities are especially acute. In this week's episode of Business Extra, host Salim A Essaid is joined by Sameh Al-Muqdadi, a specialist in water politics and climate security at the Green Charter, to discuss how disruption to energy markets is translating into risks for water supply and food security. They also talk about why the region is particularly vulnerable and how these pressures could have a global impact. The conversation explores how long these effects could last, what it means for consumers and economies, and whether current infrastructure and policies are equipped to handle a prolonged crisis.

People in this episode

Host: Salim A Essaid

Guest: Sameh Al-Muqdadi

Topics covered

• water security
• geopolitical shocks
• energy-water-food nexus
• desalination
• food security

Keywords

• Iran war
• infrastructure
• supply chains
• agriculture
• climate security

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Iran, Gulf, US

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