Topics in Jewish Studies (390-0-1)
Topic
Water in Arid Lands: Israel and the Middle East
Instructors
Elie Rekhess
Crowe Hall 5-149
Professor Rekhess (Ph.D Tel-Aviv University) is one of Israel’s leading experts on the Arab minority in Israel, Jewish-Arab relations, Palestinian politics, and the Islamic resurgence in the West Bank and Gaza. He published extensively on these topics.
He is presently the Visiting Crown Chair in Israel Studies at Northwestern University and Associate Director of the Crown Center for Jewish and Israel Studies. He teaches in Northwestern’s History Department. Professor Rekhess is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle East Studies, at Tel-Aviv University. He headed Tel-Aviv University’s Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation (1995-2010).
A regular public lecturer and television commentator on Arab issues in Israel and the Middle East. He served as a strategic advisor to Ehud Barak during his election campaign (1999) and as an advisor to the Ministerial committee on the Arabs in Israel (1999-2000).
Aaron Packman
847/491-9902
2145 N. Sheridan / Tech A314
Office Hours: a-packman@northwestern.edu
Aaron Packman is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Director of the Center for Water Research at Northwestern University.Dr. Packman is an internationally recognized expert in water resources, surface-groundwater interactions, and biological and biogeochemical processes in aquatic systems. Dr. Packman’s research team is working to solve a variety of problems, including nutrient pollution, urban flooding, ecosystem degradation & restoration, and waterborne disease transmission. He currently serves on the Leadership Team of the Smart Great Lakes Initiative, as well as its Science, Technology, and Innovation team.
Meeting Info
Annenberg Hall G29: Wed 4:00PM - 7:00PM
Overview of class
Title: Water in Arid Lands: Technology & Innovation in the Middle East
his seminar will explore how water availability shapes the development of civilizations and drives innovation in water technologies. The course will investigate historical dimensions of water in drylands in the Middle East, starting from ancient civilizations and the water infrastructures that were essential to the development of societies in arid regions. We will use this historical context as a stepping-stone to understand the more recent history of the Middle East, focusing on challenges faced by states in the Jordan River Basin. We will then examine efforts to develop the water resources needed to support burgeoning populations, such as irrigation projects designed to convert barren desert into cultivated agriculture. This more recent history includes geopolitical conflicts over land and water that continue to this day. We will evaluate regional water resources in the context of current and future climate and geopolitical conflicts, review recent advances in water technologies spurred by these limitations, and explore potential social and technological solutions for long-term water sustainability in the Middle East. We will discuss how water access and control contributes to trans-boundary politics and tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the west Bank and Gaza, along with collaborative solutions developed between Israel and Jordan. Finally, we will discuss opportunities for global translation of innovative water technologies and water-management solutions. Start-up culture and innovation in water technologies for local use, notably in Israel and more recently in other nations of the Middle East, serve as a model for improving water supply in other arid regions. The course will host a symposium on water innovation, featuring national and international experts on water technology, policy, and commercialization.
Registration Requirements
Juniors, Seniors and Grad Students in any school. Freshmen and Sophomores may be able to enroll with a permission code if space is available.
Learning Objectives
The course will provide an overview of the climatic and geographical limitations on water availability in Israel and the Middle East, discuss ancient and modern societal responses to these limitations, and define opportunities for development of sustainable solutions for regional stability and prosperity.
Evaluation Method
Written progress report and outline for seminar paper: 20% Final paper: 30% Weekly position papers: 25% Presentations & discussion participation: 25%
Class Materials (Required)
Reading materials will be distributed through Canvas.
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Students who are Juniors, Seniors, or Graduate students in any school