OCIS and WIT to Explore Water Justice Across Major River Basins of the Muslim World

Centre for Water Informatics & Technology (WIT), LUMS, in collaboration with the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) has launched a pioneering research collaboration to study water justice across three of the world’s most critical river basins: the Indus, Mesopotamia, and the Nile. The project is sponsored by Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF) as one of its Flexible Grants for Small Groups. The project is led by Dr. Adeel Malik (Oxford) and Dr. Abubakr Muhammad (LUMS). 

Titled Water Justice in Muslim Societies: A Scoping Study of Three River Basins, the project investigates the intersection of climate change, water inequality, and socio-cultural dynamics in regions facing extreme water stress. By integrating insights from institutional economics, environmental history, socio-ecological systems, and hydrological modeling, the study will shed light on ancient, medieval and colonial historical legacies from the three cradles of human civilization (See Figure), Islamic perspectives on water ethics and conservation and the role of emerging technologies in equitable water resource management.  

This collaboration will bring together leading scholars, water professionals, and local stakeholders within the three basins through conferences, research design workshops, and data-sharing initiatives. The outcomes will include a comprehensive scoping study, publicly available geospatial datasets, and scholarly contributions. 

The project will also prioritize cultural inclusivity and ethical research practices, ensuring that findings benefit not only academic audiences but also local communities across the Nile, Indus, and Mesopotamia river basins. This initiative comes at a critical time when climate change, political instability, and socio-economic inequalities are threatening water security in many parts of the world. The project aims to provide empirically grounded and culturally sensitive insights that inform sustainable and just water management practices.

If you would like to contribute to this project, please share your details here.