Middle East: Environmental Issues SS7G6a: Explain how water pollution and the unequal distribution of water impacts irrigation and drinking water

Water Water is a natural resource in S.W. Asia Turkey & Iraq share the Tigris and Euphrates river system that provides enough water for farming Israel, Syria and Jordan share the Jordan River. Saudi Arabia has almost no water-mostly desert Iran has some access to water but mostly desert Water is in such short supply that irrigation is used for farming and water their animals

Irrigation Underground aquifers: layers of rock where water runoff from rains and streams is trapped Wells that tap into fossil water (water that has been underground for centuries). Water is not replaced by rains and streams

Irrigation Farmers in rural areas use water wheels, irrigation ditches, canals, and animal power to lift water from the underground wells

Irrigation Israel and Saudi Arabia use a drip irrigation. Computer measures out how much water each plant needs and delivers it to the plant

Irrigation Desalination: very expensive process of removing salt and other chemicals from sea water to use for drinking water and irrigation

Countries with more technology use more modern irrigation techniques

Water Pollution Many farmers use chemical fertilizers that run off and contaminate the water supplies in the rivers and streams Constant planting and fertilizer has led to the build-up of salt levels in the soils making it impossible to grow plants

The rapid growth of cities has caused garbage and sewage problems

Conflict with Water Access to water is causing a conflict between the countries that share a river system Countries built dams to create lakes for irrigation and the production of hydroelectric power (electricity produced from the energy of running water) This result is that there is less water available for countries further downstream