The Middle East is a generally arid region with few rivers. But as a result, the rivers that do flow there have an outsized importance, both physically and historically. In fact, some of these resources are listed among the great rivers of the world. This talk will focus on a few of these rivers and emphasize their geographical, historical, and current importance, including the struggle for water rights today.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Mark Van Baalen is trained as a geologist but also has a deep interest in history. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard and is currently an Associate in Earth & Planetary Sciences at that university. Together with his wife, Louisa, he has traveled widely and led excursions to all continents of the Earth, lecturing on the natural and human history of remote regions.

ABOUT THE CAMDEN CONFERENCE: Established in 1987, the nonprofit Camden Conference provides a non-partisan community forum that fosters in-depth discussion of foreign affairs through year-round programming and our signature multi-day annual conference each February. This year’s conference topic is Today’s Middle East: Power, Politics & Players, and it will be held in person and via livestream February 20-22, 2026. For more information, visit camdenconference.org.