This comprehensive analysis of the issues that destabilize the national and international politics of the Middle East. It is based on long and skilled observation of the problems of accessing secure water, energy and food supplies in the region. The authors bring the analysis right up to date by discussing the violent first and second decades of the twenty-first century. By deploying comprehensive securitization frame they effectively assist the reader to understand the variable intensity of regional conflict. They also link these dynamics with what has become known as the water, energy and food nexus.

- Prof. J. A. (Tony) Allan, Department of Geography, King's College London,

This is an important book that deserves the attention of anyone interested in the condition of the Middle East region and its impact on the world. The book's comprehensive overview of the underlying security challenges facing the Middle East—including water, energy, arable land, urban sprawl, pollution, and demographic issues—highlights existential stresses that drive some current tensions and also threaten the region's future. If you wonder what issues the Middle East region and the world should address to lower tensions and promote stability in the decades ahead, Swain and Jägerskog's work is a compelling starting place.

- Rami G. Khouri, founding director and currently senior fellow, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, American University of Beirut,