Tackling the Trickle: Ensuring Sustainable Water Management in the Arab Region

Abstract

Water scarcity in the Arab region is intensifying due to population growth, economic development, and the impacts of climate change. It is manifested in groundwater depletion, freshwater ecosystem degradation, deteriorating water quality, low levels of water storage per capita, and added pressures on transboundary water resources. High-income Arab countries have sought to circumvent the ever-present challenges of water scarcity through agricultural imports (virtual water trade), desalination, and, increasingly, wastewater reuse. In this review article, we argue that the narrative of water scarcity and supply-side technological fixes masks more systemic issues that threaten sustainable water management, including underperforming water utilities, protracted armed conflict and displacement, agricultural policies aimed at self-sufficiency, evolving food consumption behaviors, the future of energy markets, and educational policy. Water management challenges, particularly on the demand side, and responses in the Arab region cannot be understood in isolation from these broader regional and international political and socioeconomic trends. Recognizing the complex and interdependent challenges of water management is the first step in reforming approaches and shifting to more sustainable development outcomes and stability in the Arab region and beyond.

Regional lessons from the COVID-19 outbreak in the Middle East: From infectious diseases to climate change adaptation

“…Social, economic and environmental conditions in the Middle East may further intensify infectious outbreaks. High population density and water shortage are among the main limiting factors in facing a disease such as COVID-19, where the key preventive measures are isolation of the sick, physical distancing and personal hygiene ( Borgomeo et al, 2020 ). Many countries in the region, including Jordan and Palestine, are economically disadvantaged with relatively limited health systems.…”

Optimal Design of a Hybrid Renewable Power System for a Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant in Jordan

“…Despite the limited availability of water, certain areas, particularly urban center, exhibit high rates of water consumption. This unequal distribution has led to the overexploitation of groundwater, resulting in aquifer depletion and exacerbating long-term water scarcity (Alfarra, 2019; Al Omari, 2020; Borgomeo et al, 2020). Climate change compounds these issues, with rising temperatures, reduced precipitation, and increased evaporation rates collectively diminishing water availability and worsening water scarcity.…”

Changes in agricultural virtual water in Central Asia, 1992–2016

“…This study aims to calculate the flow of agricultural water resources for Central Asian countries accurately, using the method of virtual water, to better understand comprehensively the state of their agricultural water resources. On this basis, we analyze the causes of agricultural water resource change, put forward management measures for the efficient use of agricultural water resources (Borgomeo et al, 2020;Delbourg et al, 2020;Ma et al, 2020;Zhang et al, 2018), and explore the direction of agricultural development; these measures are used to promote the transformation of agricultural structure, alleviate the shortage of water, and optimize the structure of agricultural exports.…”