This 5-credit fall 2018 course for undergraduates and graduate students will take an interdisciplinary approach, beginning with an overview of the scientific and hydrological factors that are critical to understanding the subject. By studying three major river basins in the Middle East, students will explore the historic, geographic, political, environmental and legal factors that lead to conflict or cooperation. Since global climate change will likely affect fundamental drivers of the hydrological cycle, climate change will have a large impact on water resources and water resource managers. The instructor has traveled widely in the region and has published a book on “Strategic Water for Iraq.”
Graduate Students: Graduate students will participate in simulated briefings of the new US ambassadors to Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Ethiopia and Oman as “Deputy Chief of Mission.” They may also have the option to participate in a separate writing program as part of a project for the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI). http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/ Graduate students who are selected to participate will be excused from the regular class briefing paper (listed in the syllabus) and will be graded separately on their input for the FSI Project.
The course will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays between 1:30 and 3:20 in MEB 237. For more information, or a copy of the Draft Syllabus, send an e-mail to the instructor, Frederick Michael Lorenz at lorenz@uw.edu