This project investigates the intersection of water justice, climate change, and socio-cultural dynamics in major river basins spanning predominantly Muslim regions, including the Nile, Indus, and Mesopotamia. These basins, among the world’s most water-stressed, exemplify deep inequalities driven by historical trajectories, uneven development, climate-induced disruptions. By adopting a multidisciplinary approach, the project integrates institutional economics, environmental history, socio-ecological analysis, and hydrological modelling to explore water-related inequalities and their broader implications for justice and sustainability. The project addresses key questions, including the lessons from ancient hydraulic societies, the role of Islamic perspectives on water ethics and conflict resolution, and the impact of past and emerging technologies on equity and resource management. Cross-cutting themes include Islamic ethics in water conservation, the legacy of colonial irrigation systems, and the sacred and symbolic geographies of water in Muslim contexts.

Our methodology combines quantitative geo-spatial analysis, mixed-methods research, and stakeholder engagement. Initial activities will include roundtable events with experts to identify available data resources, research gaps, and local partners. A key objective of the project will be to prepare a research design for a larger project on the subject. The findings will inform a scoping study, leading to a journal article, a proposal for an edited volume, and publicly available geospatial data resources. This project is timely and critical, addressing the existential challenges of climate change, political instability, and socio-economic inequality in Muslim-majority regions. It aims to provide empirically grounded, culturally sensitive insights into the holistic role of water for sustainable development in these societies.