Middle East: Water and Oil

Problem in the Middle East: Water is Polluted Poor sanitary conditions Leaks from oil/petroleum pipeline and ships Agriculture waste

Shortage- caused by Climate : there are many deserts in the area Population: There has been tremendous growth in this area Countries rely on desalination to get fresh water Israel: gets water from the Sea of Galilee

Water

Unequal Distribution Agriculture suffers because lands can’t be irrigated People have to do without for drinking, cleaning, working, etc. Countries without major rivers must find other ways to generate electricity.

Countries dispute over “water rights” Euphrates River – flows through Turkey, Syria and Iraq Turkey and Syria have built dams on the river (This means less water for Iraq)

Oil Government has benefitted Area was able to modernize by building: Airports, Communication systems, Oil Pipelines, Roads People left small villages and moved to large cities Standard of Living Rose – people had more money to spend on goods