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

2. 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

3. 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

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

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

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

7. Countries with more technology use more modern irrigation techniques

8. 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

9. The rapid growth of cities has caused garbage and sewage problems

10. 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