Global Arab Network | MENA - The Water Balance | Economics: "MENA - The Water Balance PDF Print E-mail
Economics - Economics
James Gavin
Sunday, 26 July 2009 12:16
niel_rever
Half of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa region consume more water on average than they are receiving in rainfall. Yet the per capita water availability in the region is projected to fall by half by 2050, writes James Gavin...
Such are the precarious fundamentals of the region's water sector. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remains the most water-scarce region of the world and in recent years the amount of water available per person has declined dramatically. According to Julia Bucknall, the World Bank's leading natural resources management specialist: 'The MENA region will be seeing a lot more people trying to manage with a lot less water.'
Worldwide, average water availability per person is close to 7,000m3 per year, whereas in the MENA region, only around 1,200m3 per person per year is available. Moreover, with the population expected to grow from around 300 million to around 500 million in 2025, per capita availability will halve by 2050. Water precipitation will also drop by up to 30 per cent by that date.
The picture is far from uniform. Whereas the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Yemen largely so"
Monday, September 21, 2009
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