Population Distribution & Environmental Issues

Middle East Environmental Concerns

 Water Supply  Very limited in Middle East  Many countries must use desalination to get drinking water  Process of removing salt from salt water to make it okay for drinking and farming  Jordan,Tigris, Euphrates and Nile rivers  Used for drinking water and generate power  If you don’t have a river in your region, you must find alternate methods for drinking water and power.

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The Mighty Nile River: “Longest River in the World”

Egypt: The “Gift of the Nile” Annual Nile Flooding Nile Delta 95% of the Egyptian people live on 5% of the land!

Few rivers in the area  Jordan River: Originating in the mountains of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria, the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea. The river is the key water source for Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. It is only 20 feet wide in some parts and only 17 feet deep at its deepest point!

 Tigris River: The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are like twins, starting in the mountains of Turkey and running parallel to each other in some places. The Tigris was part of the cradle of the ancient Middle Eastern civilizations.

 Euphrates River: Runs parallel to the Tigris

The Tigris & Euphrates River System Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the Two Rivers” Marsh Arabs, Southern Iraq Marsh Arabs, Southern Iraq

 Suez Canal: the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. It is called the ‘crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia” because it allows trade between all three continents.

Suez Canal Completed by the British in 1869

 Persian Gulf: This shallow arm of the Arabian Sea between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula holds some of the most important oil fields in the world. Western countries call it the Persian Gulf but most Arab countries call it the Arabian Gulf.

 Strait of Hormuz: This narrow waterway between the gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf is a critically important shipping channel. Much of the world’s oil supply passes through this strait.

Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth Highest Salt Content (33%) 2,300’ below sea level

 Gaza Strip: This area of 146 square miles is bordered on the south by Egypt, on the west by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the north and east by Israel. Disputes over this territory continue between Israel and the Palestinians.

Middle East Environmental Concerns Water Supply Few Rivers

 Literacy Rate-the ability to read and write, or the ability to use language to read, write, listen, and speak  Deforestation- forested areas converted into non-forest land for use such as arable land.

 Desertification- land converted into desert due to various climatic variations, but primarily from human activities.  Soil Degradation- removal of fertilizer, nitrogen, and other substances need to grow crops.

 Overgrazing- occurs when plants are exposed to livestock grazing for extended periods of time. It reduces the usefulness of the land and is one cause of desertification and erosion.

 Rights to Water Supply  Disputes over rights to water supply and other natural resources in the region  Water rights  Agreements about how countries can use the water in a region.

 Turkey: Snow melts in the highlands of Turkey and forms the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. This gives Turkey more water resources than most of its neighbors. However, pollution from agriculture, industries, and oil spills on the Black Sea is a problem.  Turkey, Syria, and Iraq: Turkey built dams along the Euphrates to use the water for hydroelectric power and irrigation. This reduced the amount of water reaching Syria. Syria in turn built a dam and reduced the river’s flow into Iraq. In 1975, Syria and iraq came close to fighting a war over the water issue.

 Israel: Water consumption is up however rainfall is down. More and more water is pulled from the Aquifer however very little is returned.  Iran: Similarly, Iran is using water from its Aquifer faster than it can be replenished.  Afghanistan: Poor infrastructure means open sewers, failed septic systems, fertilizers, and pesticides are contaminating their shrinking water supply.

 Saudi Arabia: Located in the middle of the Arabian Pennisula and within a desert, water for the Kingdom is very scarce. Most of the Kingdoms water supply comes from desalination.  WHAT IS DESALINATION?

Desalinization Plants

 Israel, Jordan and Palestinians  Rely on the same scarce water supply on the West Bank  Israel has the most power – so they have the ability to claim more water.  What happens if they build a dam?  Recycle the water so many people have access to water without a major shortage

 Many areas in the Middle East lack basic sewage systems

 The lines coming from the tank are called the Leach Field; this is where excess water is drained away from the home.

 Municipal Sewage Systems: Water Treatment Plan

 Water Pollution  Port cities  Ports make it easier to ship things  Water is often polluted by the shipping industry  Oil is the main export  Oil spills are one of the main causes for water pollution in the Persian Gulf

Middle East Environmental Concerns Pollution Water Supply Few Rivers

 World’s largest source of oil - Persian Gulf  Pollution issues – air and water  Damage to refineries during war  Not repairing damages  Oil Distribution is not even.  A few countries have most of the oil reserves.  Others, sometimes right next door, have no oil.  Pollution was a strategy used during war  Dumped oil into Persian Gulf  Burned oil wells to prevent USA from gaining control  Lack of water supply makes the pollution issue even bigger.

 How do rivers and deserts impact where people live, where they work and how they travel?  People settle around the limited fresh water supply.  Civilizations concentrate around fertile soil.  People aren’t going to settle in a hot desert.... Why?  Crops are grown within these areas.  Subsistence Farming – Grow enough only for their families.  Most people within the Middle East were nomads (wander) within the desert regions. However, that changed in the 1950’s and 1960’s with the discovery of oil.  Now less than 1% of Saudi Arabians are nomads

Middle East Environmental Concerns Population Distribution Water Supply Few Rivers

 Most economies in the Middle East were once based on farming.  Discovery oil – main source of income  Governments with large oil deposits stopped investing in other parts of their economies.  Countries without oil are poorer.

Middle East Environmental Concerns Population Distribution Transportation Water Supply Few Rivers