Water in the MENA region – victim and casualty rather than source of conflict?

This centenary celebration activity is an hybrid inaugural lecture followed by an in-person reception for current students, alumni and staff, in particular SOAS-KCL joint degree geography graduates in May 2022. It is hosted by the Geography Department and the King’s Water Centre.

This event consists of an hybrid inaugural talk of the Tony Allan Memorial Lecture series, which takes on the intellectual legacy of our late emeritus colleague on topics of water, agriculture and political economy. Tony was one of the staff that bridged SOAS and King's over the years. 

This event will allow us to honour our unique joint degree and the rich history and achievements in field of resource geography and regional studies, particularly on Middle East and North Africa.

About the event

16:00: Dr Anders Jägerskog (Senior Water Resources Management Specialist, World Bank) will join us live online to deliver the inaugural lecture titled “Water in the MENA region – victim and casualty rather than source of conflict?”.  London audiences can watch the lecture in Bush House Lecture Theatre 1.

17:30: An in person reception will take place following the lecture. This will include an ‘unveiling’ and short tour of the 6.05 room, which has now been renamed as the Prof Tony Allan room. 

Lecture summary

The lecture will aim to unpack the discourse around water and conflict in the Middle East in North Africa. Drawing on some of Professor Tony Allan’s work, it will highlight the silent role of virtual waters effect on the propensity for conflict and war.

It will discuss water as a source of conflict but also as a victim of conflict and will  address the relationship between water and migration in the region. The lecture draws on a recent report by the World Bank – “Ebb and Flow: Water in the Shadow of Conflict”.

About the speaker

Anders Jägerskog PhD is Senior Water Resources Management at the Water Global Practice at the World Bank. His work focuses on the Middle East and North Africa region.

Previously he was Counsellor for regional water resources in the MENA region at the Swedish Embassy in Amman, Jordan; Director, Knowledge Services, at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) where he headed the Transboundary Water Management Unit and was work area leader for applied research.

He managed the UNDP Shared Waters Partnership which facilitates and promotes dialogue and cooperation on transboundary water resources.

He is Associate Professor (Docent) at Peace and Development Research, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg where his work focuses on global water issues. He worked for Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs; at the Embassy of Sweden, Nairobi and at Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

In 2003 he finished his PhD on the water negotiations in the Jordan River Basin at the Department of Water and Environmental Studies at the Linköping University, Sweden.

He has published over 100 scientific articles, book chapters, debate articles and reports on global water issues.