Middle East Water Crisis “Problems & Solutions”

What is the difference between worth and value?

Which one of these items do you think is worth the most?

Which one of these items do you think is the most valuable?

How does scarcity impact the value of something?

The Background The water problem in the Middle East is not new. The region has always been one of the driest in the world. However, over the past decade the problem has reached a crisis level. There are many factors that have contributed to the region’s water issues, but the two main factors in recent years have been rapid population growth in the region and drought conditions.

Problem #1-Lack of Freshwater Sources Although it takes up about 20% of the world’s land area, the Middle East has only about 2% of the world’s freshwater. There are no major rivers that flow through the Arabian Peninsula. Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon all share the waters of the Jordan River. Although there are several seas that surround the countries of the Middle East, these bodies of water provide only salt water.

Problem #2-Drought Conditions In the 1990s, severe droughts caused the average yearly rainfall of the Middle East to plummet. Rainfall amounts fell to less than 10% of the average yearly rainfall. Most of the Arabian Peninsula receives less the 5 inches of rain annually.

Problem #3-Population Growth Many countries in the Middle East have been experiencing rapid population growth. Growth rates have averaged around 2.5% per year. The region’s population has grown from 127 million in 1970 to 305 million in The availability of water cannot sustain the growing population. The Middle East makes up about 5-10% of the world’s population, but the area has only about 1-2% of the world’s fresh water.

Problem #4-Water Per Person The average person in the world uses 1,700 cubic meters of water per year. In 1990, the average usage per person in the Middle East was 1,436 cubic meters. By 2025, the average usage per person in the Middle East is expected to drop to 667 cubic meters (1000 cubic meters per year is considered acceptable).

Problem #5-Land Use Agriculture is the major economic activity throughout much of the Middle East. Because of desert conditions, there is a limited amount of arable land found throughout the Middle East. The amount of water used for agriculture in the region is enormous.

Problem #6-Pollution Water in the Middle East is becoming increasingly polluted. Poor water quality is primarily a result of development and agriculture: –Septic tank leakage from homes and businesses –Soil erosion brings pesticides and livestock wastes into water supplies –Oil and gas drilling contaminate water

Concluding Points These six issues, along with many others, have led to a major water crisis in the Middle East. In addition to bringing hardships to the farmers of the Middle East, the water crisis has led to conflicts between different countries competing for fresh water resources and arable land. For instance, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon have been competing over the waters of the Jordan River for many years. Also, conflict between Turkey, Syria, and Iraq has grown in recent years over Turkey’s building of dams on the Tigris and Euphrates River. These dams, while beneficial for Turkey, are detrimental to Syria and Iraq because they restrict the flow of water to these countries.

What are some potential solutions to the water crisis in the Middle East?

Solution #1-Desalination The process for removing salt from seawater so the water can be used for drinking, irrigation, etc. Water is heated and steam is collected and cooled, separating the salt and water. Problem(s): –Expensive –Time consuming –Takes great deal of energy

Desalination

Solution #2-Treated Wastewater Use of treated, recycled sewage water is common in many Middle Eastern countries –Amount of treatment varies –Water usually used for crops Problem(s): –Some countries, fearing contamination, do not want to buy agricultural products watered with treated wastewater.

Wastewater Treatment

Solution #3-Imports/Trade Some countries may be able to import water from other countries: –Pipelines could be built to connect and distribute water from one country to another –Countries with larger quantities of water could trade for needed resources from countries with a scarcity of water Problem(s): –Countries would need to cooperate to maintain and protect the pipelines, especially from terrorist activities

Solution #4-Alternative Water Sources Small, but useful ways to increase water supplies: –Storing rainwater from roofs –Capturing winter thaws from the mountains –Importing water by tankers –Cloud seeding Problem(s): –Dependent upon the weather –Does not provide significant amount of water –Techniques are experimental

Solution #5-Conservation In many parts of the Middle East, people limit the amount of water they use on a daily basis: –Limit the use of public water –Cut back on water used for daily activities Problem(s): –Some countries do not conserve as much water as others –Many countries already have limited amounts of water; the people of these countries cannot afford to lower their current daily water usage

Solution #6-Building Dams Building dams on rivers helps to control the flow of water The Southeastern Anatolia Project is a series of 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants built by Turkey on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers –Increased water available for irrigation –Increased water and energy available for daily consumption Problem(s): –While dams often help the country where they are built, they often hurt other countries by restricting the flow of water

Solution #7-Economic Diversification By focusing less on agriculture and more on alternative economic activities such as manufacturing, Middle Eastern countries would: –increase employment in non- agricultural fields –use less arable land –use less water resources Problem(s): –Education is needed to prepare workers for many non- agricultural opportunities –Investment in manufacturing, mining, and business is expensive –TRADITION

Concluding Points There are no easy solutions to the water crisis currently taking place in the Middle East. The people of this region have been tackling their issues with water for centuries. Some solutions involve the governments and people of the Middle East to develop new and innovative strategies and methods for dealing with the region’s limited water supply. Other strategies involve nations putting aside their differences and working together to conserve and share limited water resources. No matter the solution, one thing is certain, without water the Middle East will not survive.

Think About It… What will happen to the countries and people of SW Asia if the water crisis is not solved?