1 Socioeconomic Development and Benefit Sharing in the Euphrates- Tigris River Basin Ayegül Kibaroğlu Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Middle East Technical University Ankara, 06531, Turkey E-mail: kaysegul@metu.edu.tr ABSTRACT Futile negotiation processes over water allocation and related disputes over water rights in the Euphrates-Tigris river basin demonstrate that there is a need to create new cooperative frameworks that enable links between cooperation and development. Hence, this chapter commences with the description of the origins and the evolution of the dispute in the region. There are discussions on the merits of the principle of ‘equitable utilization’ and ‘the needs-based approach’ with a specific reference to the Three Stage Plan of Turkey. After analyzing the limitations and shortcomings of existing water allocation mechanisms a more workable solution of ‘sharing the benefits rather than sharing the water itself” is put forward. The Joint Technical Committee meetings are reviewed, suggesting the broad- ening of its agenda. KEYWORDS: Euphrates-Tigris river basin, socio-economic development, cooperation, GAP, Three Stage Plan, benefit-sharing 1.1 Introduction Being one of the vital water resources in southwest Asia, the Euphrates and Tigris rivers constitute a sin- gle transboundary watercourse system. They are linked not only by their natural course when merging at the Shatt-al-Arab, but also as a result of a man-made Thartar Canal connection between the two rivers in Iraq. Turkey, Syria and Iraq are the three major ripar- ians of this river system. Annual mean flow of the Euphrates is 32 billion cubic meters per year (bcm/ year). Approximately 90 per cent of the mean flow of the Euphrates drains from Turkey, whereas the re- maining amount of 10 per cent originates from Syria. As for the Tigris and its tributaries, the average total discharge is determined as 52 bcm/year. Turkey con- tributes approximately 40 per cent of the total annual flow, whereas Iraq and Iran contribute 51 per cent, and 9 per cent, respectively (Anderson 1986). The water question emerged on the regional agenda when the three riparians initiated major devel- opment projects. It is only since the 1960s that Turkey and Syria have put forward ambitious plans to de- velop the waters of the Euphrates-Tigris river system for energy and irrigation purposes. At the same time, Iraq also announced new schemes for an extension of its irrigated area. The uncoordinated nature of these supply-led developments as well as inefficient and in- effective demand management practices within the framework of national water policy and management of the co-riparians continue to be the principal causes of water imbalance in the Euphrates-Tigris river basin. Adequate solutions to this problem are often premised on coordinated regional action. The chapter is largely devoted to discussions of the origins and the evolution of the water dispute in the Euphrates-Tigris river basin. It includes analyses on the merits of the principle of ‘equitable utilization’ and ‘the needs-