Status of Water in the Arab Region

Abstract

The Arab Region has an extremely poor supply of water resources with many areas experiencing unpredictable rainfall. Taking population size and growth into consideration, the Arab Region is considered one of the world’s most water-stressed regions, with continuously decreasing per capita freshwater availability. Despite the strenuous efforts made by the Arab countries in augmenting their water supplies to meet increasing demands, the emphasis on the supply-driven approach for water management has not only reached its physical and financial limits for many countries and led to the over-exploitation of the region’s natural water resources, but has also demonstrated its inability to deliver a substantial degree of water sustainability or security. Currently, Arab countries are experiencing an alarming future of increasing water scarcity and increasing water demands and supply costs, which might not only threaten their future development and hamper human and socio-economic development efforts, but also the preservation and sustainability of their past socio-economic achievements. A major review of and shift in water policies in Arab countries, emphasizing demand management and conservation is urgently needed, with the overall objective of securing long-term water supplies while meeting strict criteria for socio-economic, financial and environmental sustainability, and public health requirements. The successful implementation of these policies would be the cornerstone for coping with water scarcity in the region. Moreover, shared water resources should be given high priority in order to reach agreements and form treaties regarding water allocation, including quality considerations, according to international water law. Finally, unless there is a major shift in the population policies of the region, the water problem will continue to be a major constraint to its future development.