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As the Iraq war progresses, the need for a better understanding of the Persian Gulf region becomes increasingly necessary. Much of the debate on invading that region has focused on the military capacity of Iraq or the actions its government could take. Information on the economic, social, and environmental realities of that country and its neighbors could be informative to this debate.
Accurate information about the people and ecosystems of Iraq can raise awareness and inform discussions regarding this increasingly important area of the world and its valuable natural resources. WRI provides timely, accurate and easily accessible information on environmental, social and economic trends for all regions of the globe.
In this section, WRI draws from its much larger collection of information posted on EarthTrends (http://earthtrends.wri.org/) to provide a specific look at Iraq and the Persian Gulf area. The maps and tables here describe not only political realities, but also the underlying social, economic, and ecological conditions of the region. Information is available on fourteen countries: Iraq,Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Israel (and the Occupied Territories), Lebanon, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain.
- MSNBC.com describes WRI President Jonathan Lash as being "out front among environmental leaders in raising concerns about the fallout of a new Gulf War." Here is his original commentary.
- Country profiles. We have included profiles for each country in the Persian Gulf region. These descriptive sheets include tables and graphs describing a particular topic in a country. For example, find information on population and human development in Iraq, or on the availability of freshwater in Kuwait.
- Global oil statistics. Conflicts in the Middle East have severe impacts on the world's oil supply. View a concise series of graphs and charts about oil production, consumption, and trade. Dr. James MacKenzie's study, "Oil as a Finite Source: When is Global Production Likely to Peak?" is also a good reference.
- Watersheds and drainage basins. The quantity and quality of available water is arguably the most pressing resource issue in the region. Access the United Nations Environment Program's comprehensive study of the Tigris and Euphrates drainage basin. Additionally, view overview information from WRI's Watersheds of the World (1998) report on the two watersheds in the region with particular ecological value--the Tigris and Euphrates and the Kura-Araks.
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