Power Structures in Water Regime Formation: A Comparison of the Jordan and Euphrates Tigris River Basins

This article is a comparative analysis of the effects of power structures on the success and/or failure of the water regimes in the Jordan River Basin and Euphrates Tigris River Basin. In order to see the differences and/or similarities between the two river basins, both of which are located in the same geographical region, regime theory is taken as the theoretical framework. The article contributes to the research on water in the Middle East in two ways: first, it analyses the role of domestic powers as well as global and regional powers on regime outcome; and second, it provides a basis for understanding why the riparians have chosen cooperative strategies in the Jordan Basin while in the Euphrates Tigris region temporary resolutions have been chosen.