Water security has become an important issue in arid regions like the Persian Gulf. Water scarcity coupled with a growing population have led the GCC countries to implement new policies and improve...Show moreWater security has become an important issue in arid regions like the Persian Gulf. Water scarcity coupled with a growing population have led the GCC countries to implement new policies and improve their water sector. This paper explores the water situation of these countries in an effort to determine the role of water cooperation in tackling water insecurity. By looking at data, reports and official documents, this research studies water cooperation as a potential solution to water insecurity, as well as the trends of the GCC countries in this regard.Show less
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
open access
2018-09-22T00:00:00Z
In this thesis, I analyze the Akītu festival for the purpose of understanding the socio-political landscape of the Neo- and Late-Babylonian periods in Babylon (626 BCE - 100 BCE). The history of...Show moreIn this thesis, I analyze the Akītu festival for the purpose of understanding the socio-political landscape of the Neo- and Late-Babylonian periods in Babylon (626 BCE - 100 BCE). The history of the Akītu festival, known as the Mesopotamian New Year’s festival, spans several millennia, but was especially known in its 1st millennium form in Babylon. This analysis focuses on the relationship between kings, gods, and high priests of Babylon and their actions in an historical and social space with relation to this festival. The interaction between cult and state in this shared space is used to compare how each empire utilized the festival and gods in order to exert and subvert power over the other within both an historic context and a wider socio-political history. I show that the Akītu festival was a constantly developing festival that was as dependent on the ruling king as it was a defining factor of kingship in Babylon.Show less
