SlideShare ist ein Scribd-Unternehmen logo
1 von 2
Regional Spotlight: Middle East & Africa


Quenching the Middle East’s Thirst
Water demand has soared exponentially across the Middle East alongside population, ur-
banisation and improving lifestyles. It hasn’t helped that low water tariffs are disproportion-
ate to high production costs. Vivek Gautam provides an overview of MENA countries and
discusses why policy reforms could be required to address demand issues.




       H
                        istorically, water unavailability has been a Figure 1. Actual Annual Per Capita Renewable Water Resources
                        key concern across the Middle East and
                        Africa. Many countries in Middle East and
                        North Africa (MENA) have renewable wa-
                        ter resources per capita less than 1000
       m3/year; the level that defines water scarcity.
           Furthermore, the geographic distribution of these limited
       water resources is highly uneven. Over 80% of the region is
       desert and receives little or no rainfall. Water supply provi-
       sions under such conditions have always been a key policy
       issue with social, economic and environmental ramifica-
       tions. In the past it has been erratic rainfall and prolonged
       drought periods, widely believed to be manifestations of
       climate change, which have added a new dimension to the
       problem. This is particularly the case with Syria, Jordan,
       Israel and Algeria, which are facing severe water shortages.
                                                                                                                         Source: FAO Aquastat 1993-2012
           While supplies are constrained, the demand for freshwater over
       the years has continued to increase at a rapid pace. This increase in ation. Although doing away with freshwater supply augmentation
       demand is a result of several interplaying forces. Across MENA, the projects may not be possible, there is a strong case in favor of tap-
       agricultural sector is the prime consumer of water. In some countries, ping non-conventional water resources like sewage and industrial ef-
       it accounts for over 80% of the total annual water withdrawals. Agri- fluents, which have traditionally been neglected. Industry experts are
       cultural subsidies, improving irrigation and pumping technologies and of the opinion that policy reforms are required to address demand
       the discovery of fossil groundwater reserves have helped expansion side issues, while addressing supply side problems require practicing
       of agricultural activity.                                              integrated water resource management.

       GROUNDWATER SUPPLIES                                                          WASTEWATER RECYCLING
           In several areas, water demand for irrigation far exceeds the natu-          From the economical and environmental standpoint, wastewater
       ral recharge of groundwater reservoirs. Over-extraction of aquifers           reclamation and reuse makes good sense. It can reduce or eliminate
       has led to a decline in the water table. At the same time, groundwater        health and environmental hazards associated with effluent discharg-
       quality has deteriorated due to an influx of saline water from laterally      es. At the same time, it generates an alternative resource and thereby
       surrounding areas, excessive use of fertilisers and localised discharge       prevents immediate investment in costly water supply schemes (stor-
       of brine and sewage effluent into deserts.                                    age, transfer or desalination plants).
           In the case of the municipal sector, water demand has been soar-             Despite these potential benefits, so far wastewater reuse across
       ing due to growing population, urbanisation and improving lifestyles.         most MENA countries has remained limited. One of the impeding
       In the resource-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, per            factors is inadequate wastewater infrastructure. Though MENA
       capita household consumption is much higher that the per capita               countries have made considerable progress in extending sewage
       consumption in some developed societies. For instance, in Abu Dha-            collection network in urban areas, treatment capacities remain un-
       bi, the per capita demand varies from 170-200 liters per day in flats         even. Much of the collected wastewater is discharged without any
       to as high as 270-1760 liters per day for people living in villas.            treatment into the sea or desert. Even where a considerable percent-
           In urban areas, a large proportion of desalinated water is used           age of the collected wastewater is treated, societal perceptions have
       for household gardening, maintaining public and private parks, car
                                                                                     Figure 1. Per Capita Water Consumption for Select Countries
       washing, etc. Water tariffs are low and disproportionate to the high
       production cost, thereby allowing such extravagant use of this scarce                                               liters/capita/day
       resource. Besides agricultural and municipal sector, expanding in-             United Arab Emirates                 653
       dustrial activity too has contributed its fair share towards the overall       Bahrain                              571
       water demand.                                                                  Kuwait                               441
           With many countries approaching the limit of water resource devel-         Jordan                               143
       opment and others reeling under severe supply shortages, the prob-             Palestine                            50
       lem of water scarcity is turning into a crisis. Governments and planning
       agencies are being forced to think of alternative options to ease the situ-   Source: Economic & Social Council West Asia (ESCWA), 2009




38    February/March | 2009                                                                                                       www.wwinternational.com
Jordan’s Disi water conveyance
                                           Regional Spotlight: Middle East & Africa
      project involves a 325-km pipeline
      being built through the Jordanian
      desert to Abu Alanda and Dabuk
      reservoirs.


      kept the demand for reclaimed
      wastewater low.
           However, considering the fact
      that MENA countries are facing
      a situation of dwindling renew-
      able water resources per capita
      and an ever-increasing demand,
      it may no longer be possible to
      neglect this valuable resource.
      Planning agencies have to con-
      template ways to realise the po-
      tential of wastewater as a water
      supply resource.                                                          enhance water supplies. Ashkelon desalination plant, which is the
           In a bid to bring best technologies and adoption of international    largest reverse osmosis-based plant across the world, was opened in
      best practices in development and management of wastewater infra-         2005. It is expected to provide 100 million m3/year of desalinated wa-
      structure, GCC countries have embarked upon privatisation of such         ter. Algeria, too, has favored seawater desalination to ensure continu-
      utilities. National Water Company in Saudi Arabia has rolled out a        ous water supplies irrespective of the rainfall. In 2008 it implemented
      two-phase strategic transformation initiative to develop wastewater       four desalination plants with total capacity of 720,000 m3 /year. Since
      infrastructure in 15 cities. Similarly, Haya Water (Oman Wastewater       desalination has become more affordable over the years due to tech-
      Services Company) has prepared a three-phase wastewater master            nological advances, it will not be surprising if more nations opt for it.
      plan for the Muscat governorate with an objective to cover 80% of
      the population by 2014.                                                   WATER CONSERVATION AND DEMAND MANAGEMENT
           Many private sector residential projects and townships too have           In recent times, there has been an increasing realisation that the
      set-up wastewater treatment plants, in some cases even with tertiary      MENA region has to be more cautious when using a resource as
      treatment. At the same time, to address the issue of low demand           indispensable and scarce as water. Planning agencies and water au-
      for treated wastewater several alternative uses are being considered.     thorities feel that an incessant supply addition may not be the most
      Israel, Jordan and Tunisia’s experience in wastewater reuse suggests      pragmatic approach to deal with the water scarcity issue.
      application of treated sewage effluent (TSE) for agriculture, forestry         Accordingly, authorities are contemplating both technological and
      and ground water recharge.                                                policy measures to promote efficient usage of water. For instance,
           Besides this, in the last few years the water demand for non-po-     Abu Dhabi’s water resources master plan suggests bringing down
      table applications such as landscaping, golf courses, district cooling,   transmission and distribution losses from the current 17% to 10%.
      construction work, etc. has gone up significantly, thereby providing      On the policy side, a progressive increase in water tariffs is being
      alternative avenues for wastewater reuse. Initiatives are required on     advocated. Among other water conservation measures, recently the
      behalf of the local authorities to bring in the necessary changes in      Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) has announced a drive to
      regulation, redraft guidelines and open up these areas for use of re-     install flow restrictors in 55,000 households and 5,000 public build-
      claimed wastewater.                                                       ings. These devices can reduce the flow of water from 12 litre/min to
                                                                                3-6 litre/min and should result in considerable water savings.
      SUPPLY AND DEMAND                                                              The agricultural sector, the largest and most inefficient consumer
         Over the last five decades, supply augmentation has been the           of water across MENA, presents greatest potential for water con-
      central approach to deal with water scarcity. The resource rich GCC       servation. Many experts have suggested bringing about a shift in
      countries, with little renewable water, have invested heavily in seawa-   crop patterns and encouraging drought tolerant varieties. However,
      ter desalination. Countries with considerable surface water resourc-      governments have been slow in implementing such measures since
      es, such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Morocco have focused on             social implications can be wide-ranging and less understood. In
      building water conveyance and storage structures. Also throughout         comparison, encouraging adoption of advanced and more efficient
      MENA much effort has been made towards discovery and develop-             irrigation techniques is much favored. For instance, Morocco’s new
      ment of fossil groundwater aquifers.                                      water strategy has set a target to convert 480,000 ha, over a 10-
         While in the present context, the importance of measures for water     year period, into drip from the existing surface irrigation. Syria, too,
      demand management and wastewater reclamation and reuse can-               is providing strong incentives to farmers to shift from surface to drip
      not be understated, these may not be sufficient to plug the demand-       irrigation. A fund has been set up to assist this modernisation.
      supply gap. Although Israel and Jordan have wastewater reuse rates             The water supply situation in the MENA region is precarious. To-
      as high as 80%, they have adopted highly efficient irrigation tech-       day, it presents the biggest risk to the sustained socio-economic
      nologies (drip irrigation). Jordan’s Disi water conveyance project is     development of the region. Any future strategies to deal with this
      one such attempt. The US$1 billion project involves construction and      increasingly challenging situation must consider wastewater reuse,
      operation of a 325-Km pipeline to transfer water extracted from the       water conservation and demand management as a central part
      Disi well field in Jordan’s southern desert to Abu Alanda and Dabuk       of the solution. WWi
      reservoirs. The project should deliver 100 million m3 of water every
      year and help address acute water shortages in the capital city of        Author’s note: Vivek Gautam is an industry analyst, envi-
      Amman and surrounding areas.                                              ronment and building technologies practice, South Asia and
         Unlike Jordan, Israel has a long coastline along the Mediterranean     Middle East for Frost & Sullivan. For feedback/enquiries please
      Sea, hence a number of desalination plants have been planned to           email: tanu.chopra@frost.com                 Enquiry No. 111




www.wwinternational.com                                                                                                      February/March | 2009          39

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Was ist angesagt?

26 nov16 reservoir_command_area_management
26 nov16 reservoir_command_area_management26 nov16 reservoir_command_area_management
26 nov16 reservoir_command_area_managementIWRS Society
 
Water ressource assessment
Water ressource assessmentWater ressource assessment
Water ressource assessmentSubhash sapkota
 
Urban devlopement impact on water
Urban devlopement impact on waterUrban devlopement impact on water
Urban devlopement impact on waterAkanksha Sangwan
 
iwc7_day1_hairiver_jiang.pps
iwc7_day1_hairiver_jiang.ppsiwc7_day1_hairiver_jiang.pps
iwc7_day1_hairiver_jiang.ppsIwl Pcu
 
Coping with Water Scarcity in Near East and North Africa: Shifting Gear
Coping with Water Scarcity in Near East and North Africa: Shifting GearCoping with Water Scarcity in Near East and North Africa: Shifting Gear
Coping with Water Scarcity in Near East and North Africa: Shifting GearFAO
 
Presentation on Water Conservation, Water Efficient Products in India
Presentation on Water Conservation, Water Efficient Products in IndiaPresentation on Water Conservation, Water Efficient Products in India
Presentation on Water Conservation, Water Efficient Products in IndiaIGBC Green Building Congress
 
26 nov16 proposed_academic_curriculum_for_bachelor_of_technology_in_water_res...
26 nov16 proposed_academic_curriculum_for_bachelor_of_technology_in_water_res...26 nov16 proposed_academic_curriculum_for_bachelor_of_technology_in_water_res...
26 nov16 proposed_academic_curriculum_for_bachelor_of_technology_in_water_res...IWRS Society
 
Groundwater Economics
Groundwater Economics Groundwater Economics
Groundwater Economics ICARDA
 
Water resource management
Water resource management  Water resource management
Water resource management Rohan Mohite
 
Nepal's history of water management_Dr. Hari Krishna Shreshtha
Nepal's history of water management_Dr. Hari Krishna ShreshthaNepal's history of water management_Dr. Hari Krishna Shreshtha
Nepal's history of water management_Dr. Hari Krishna ShreshthaSaciWATERs
 
Chapter 8 water demand management.ppt
Chapter 8  water demand management.pptChapter 8  water demand management.ppt
Chapter 8 water demand management.pptMohammed Salahat
 
Water resources development in india.
Water resources development in india.Water resources development in india.
Water resources development in india.Manish Singh
 
Water resource management in Bangladesh
Water resource management in BangladeshWater resource management in Bangladesh
Water resource management in BangladeshAl Jubaer
 
Menarid: Groundwater Economics
Menarid: Groundwater EconomicsMenarid: Groundwater Economics
Menarid: Groundwater EconomicsICARDA
 
Integrated Water Resources Management in Malaysia
Integrated Water Resources Management in MalaysiaIntegrated Water Resources Management in Malaysia
Integrated Water Resources Management in MalaysiaIwl Pcu
 
Water availability & use in india -an overview
Water availability & use in india -an overviewWater availability & use in india -an overview
Water availability & use in india -an overviewIEI GSC
 

Was ist angesagt? (19)

26 nov16 reservoir_command_area_management
26 nov16 reservoir_command_area_management26 nov16 reservoir_command_area_management
26 nov16 reservoir_command_area_management
 
Water Management
Water ManagementWater Management
Water Management
 
Water ressource assessment
Water ressource assessmentWater ressource assessment
Water ressource assessment
 
Urban devlopement impact on water
Urban devlopement impact on waterUrban devlopement impact on water
Urban devlopement impact on water
 
iwc7_day1_hairiver_jiang.pps
iwc7_day1_hairiver_jiang.ppsiwc7_day1_hairiver_jiang.pps
iwc7_day1_hairiver_jiang.pps
 
Coping with Water Scarcity in Near East and North Africa: Shifting Gear
Coping with Water Scarcity in Near East and North Africa: Shifting GearCoping with Water Scarcity in Near East and North Africa: Shifting Gear
Coping with Water Scarcity in Near East and North Africa: Shifting Gear
 
Presentation on Water Conservation, Water Efficient Products in India
Presentation on Water Conservation, Water Efficient Products in IndiaPresentation on Water Conservation, Water Efficient Products in India
Presentation on Water Conservation, Water Efficient Products in India
 
26 nov16 proposed_academic_curriculum_for_bachelor_of_technology_in_water_res...
26 nov16 proposed_academic_curriculum_for_bachelor_of_technology_in_water_res...26 nov16 proposed_academic_curriculum_for_bachelor_of_technology_in_water_res...
26 nov16 proposed_academic_curriculum_for_bachelor_of_technology_in_water_res...
 
Groundwater Economics
Groundwater Economics Groundwater Economics
Groundwater Economics
 
Water resource management
Water resource management  Water resource management
Water resource management
 
Nepal's history of water management_Dr. Hari Krishna Shreshtha
Nepal's history of water management_Dr. Hari Krishna ShreshthaNepal's history of water management_Dr. Hari Krishna Shreshtha
Nepal's history of water management_Dr. Hari Krishna Shreshtha
 
Chapter 8 water demand management.ppt
Chapter 8  water demand management.pptChapter 8  water demand management.ppt
Chapter 8 water demand management.ppt
 
Water resources development in india.
Water resources development in india.Water resources development in india.
Water resources development in india.
 
Water resource management in Bangladesh
Water resource management in BangladeshWater resource management in Bangladesh
Water resource management in Bangladesh
 
Lhoussaine gw economy
Lhoussaine gw economyLhoussaine gw economy
Lhoussaine gw economy
 
Menarid: Groundwater Economics
Menarid: Groundwater EconomicsMenarid: Groundwater Economics
Menarid: Groundwater Economics
 
Integrated Water Resources Management in Malaysia
Integrated Water Resources Management in MalaysiaIntegrated Water Resources Management in Malaysia
Integrated Water Resources Management in Malaysia
 
Water availability & use in india -an overview
Water availability & use in india -an overviewWater availability & use in india -an overview
Water availability & use in india -an overview
 
Cities and Water: Sinks or Sponges?
Cities and Water: Sinks or Sponges?Cities and Water: Sinks or Sponges?
Cities and Water: Sinks or Sponges?
 

Andere mochten auch

Da scarto a risorsa, prendendosi cura dell'ambiente
Da scarto a risorsa, prendendosi cura dell'ambienteDa scarto a risorsa, prendendosi cura dell'ambiente
Da scarto a risorsa, prendendosi cura dell'ambienteeuroprogetti
 
Girisim fabrikasi startup factory
Girisim fabrikasi   startup factoryGirisim fabrikasi   startup factory
Girisim fabrikasi startup factoryGirişim Fabrikası
 
09 11 24 Web 2.0 Weekly
09 11 24 Web 2.0 Weekly09 11 24 Web 2.0 Weekly
09 11 24 Web 2.0 WeeklyDavid Shore
 
Investor presentation scense aug2014 - linked in
Investor presentation scense   aug2014 - linked inInvestor presentation scense   aug2014 - linked in
Investor presentation scense aug2014 - linked in247 Invest
 
VI Campionato Italiano a Squadre del Settore Immobiliare - 4 giugno 2012 Golf...
VI Campionato Italiano a Squadre del Settore Immobiliare - 4 giugno 2012 Golf...VI Campionato Italiano a Squadre del Settore Immobiliare - 4 giugno 2012 Golf...
VI Campionato Italiano a Squadre del Settore Immobiliare - 4 giugno 2012 Golf...LIVIO LANTERI
 

Andere mochten auch (6)

Nm mar 6, 1951
Nm mar 6, 1951Nm mar 6, 1951
Nm mar 6, 1951
 
Da scarto a risorsa, prendendosi cura dell'ambiente
Da scarto a risorsa, prendendosi cura dell'ambienteDa scarto a risorsa, prendendosi cura dell'ambiente
Da scarto a risorsa, prendendosi cura dell'ambiente
 
Girisim fabrikasi startup factory
Girisim fabrikasi   startup factoryGirisim fabrikasi   startup factory
Girisim fabrikasi startup factory
 
09 11 24 Web 2.0 Weekly
09 11 24 Web 2.0 Weekly09 11 24 Web 2.0 Weekly
09 11 24 Web 2.0 Weekly
 
Investor presentation scense aug2014 - linked in
Investor presentation scense   aug2014 - linked inInvestor presentation scense   aug2014 - linked in
Investor presentation scense aug2014 - linked in
 
VI Campionato Italiano a Squadre del Settore Immobiliare - 4 giugno 2012 Golf...
VI Campionato Italiano a Squadre del Settore Immobiliare - 4 giugno 2012 Golf...VI Campionato Italiano a Squadre del Settore Immobiliare - 4 giugno 2012 Golf...
VI Campionato Italiano a Squadre del Settore Immobiliare - 4 giugno 2012 Golf...
 

Ähnlich wie Water Scarcity in MENA

Ghaffour - desalination and water reuse
Ghaffour - desalination and water reuseGhaffour - desalination and water reuse
Ghaffour - desalination and water reuseWANA forum
 
Ghaffour - Desalination and Water Reuse
Ghaffour - Desalination and Water ReuseGhaffour - Desalination and Water Reuse
Ghaffour - Desalination and Water ReuseLaura Haddad
 
wm-141205234350-conversion-gate02.pdf
wm-141205234350-conversion-gate02.pdfwm-141205234350-conversion-gate02.pdf
wm-141205234350-conversion-gate02.pdfRanjeetDongre1
 
Water–Demand Management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Enhancement Enviro...
Water–Demand Management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Enhancement Enviro...Water–Demand Management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Enhancement Enviro...
Water–Demand Management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Enhancement Enviro...IOSR Journals
 
Water Notes
Water NotesWater Notes
Water NotesGeoBlogs
 
Water Management in Dry land And Irrigation Scheduling in Tobacco
Water Management in Dry land And Irrigation Scheduling in TobaccoWater Management in Dry land And Irrigation Scheduling in Tobacco
Water Management in Dry land And Irrigation Scheduling in TobaccoAminul Huq
 
Water resource management
Water resource managementWater resource management
Water resource managementmirarif
 
Groundwater project 8
Groundwater project 8Groundwater project 8
Groundwater project 8geosaibhaskar
 
Geography Chap 13-15-Water
Geography Chap 13-15-Water Geography Chap 13-15-Water
Geography Chap 13-15-Water guest266d7b
 
World Water Forum-Dakar-March2022
World Water Forum-Dakar-March2022World Water Forum-Dakar-March2022
World Water Forum-Dakar-March2022Benoît THIERRY
 
India; Harvesting Rainwater, Catch Water Where it Falls: Rooftop Rain Water ...
India;  Harvesting Rainwater, Catch Water Where it Falls: Rooftop Rain Water ...India;  Harvesting Rainwater, Catch Water Where it Falls: Rooftop Rain Water ...
India; Harvesting Rainwater, Catch Water Where it Falls: Rooftop Rain Water ...D5Z
 
Dr Jessica Salas, Kahublagan Sang Panimalay Foundation Philippines
Dr Jessica Salas, Kahublagan Sang Panimalay Foundation PhilippinesDr Jessica Salas, Kahublagan Sang Panimalay Foundation Philippines
Dr Jessica Salas, Kahublagan Sang Panimalay Foundation PhilippinesVictor Zapanta Manlapaz
 
Water scarcity and water poverty index in Karachi megacity
Water scarcity and water poverty  index  in Karachi megacityWater scarcity and water poverty  index  in Karachi megacity
Water scarcity and water poverty index in Karachi megacitysyed Ijlal Ahmed waleed
 
Rainwater Harvesting Technologies in Makueni County, Kenya
Rainwater Harvesting Technologies in Makueni County, KenyaRainwater Harvesting Technologies in Makueni County, Kenya
Rainwater Harvesting Technologies in Makueni County, Kenyainventy
 
00801177.pdf
00801177.pdf00801177.pdf
00801177.pdfnasef
 
FAO NELWD Bulletin No.2 - 16 Dec, 2013
FAO NELWD Bulletin No.2 - 16 Dec, 2013FAO NELWD Bulletin No.2 - 16 Dec, 2013
FAO NELWD Bulletin No.2 - 16 Dec, 2013FAO
 
Presentation - Seventh Roundtable on Financing Agricultural Water - Jean Marc...
Presentation - Seventh Roundtable on Financing Agricultural Water - Jean Marc...Presentation - Seventh Roundtable on Financing Agricultural Water - Jean Marc...
Presentation - Seventh Roundtable on Financing Agricultural Water - Jean Marc...OECD Environment
 

Ähnlich wie Water Scarcity in MENA (20)

Ghaffour - desalination and water reuse
Ghaffour - desalination and water reuseGhaffour - desalination and water reuse
Ghaffour - desalination and water reuse
 
Ghaffour - Desalination and Water Reuse
Ghaffour - Desalination and Water ReuseGhaffour - Desalination and Water Reuse
Ghaffour - Desalination and Water Reuse
 
wm-141205234350-conversion-gate02.pdf
wm-141205234350-conversion-gate02.pdfwm-141205234350-conversion-gate02.pdf
wm-141205234350-conversion-gate02.pdf
 
Waterscarcity
WaterscarcityWaterscarcity
Waterscarcity
 
Waterscarcity
WaterscarcityWaterscarcity
Waterscarcity
 
Water–Demand Management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Enhancement Enviro...
Water–Demand Management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Enhancement Enviro...Water–Demand Management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Enhancement Enviro...
Water–Demand Management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Enhancement Enviro...
 
Files15 file2289
Files15 file2289Files15 file2289
Files15 file2289
 
Water Notes
Water NotesWater Notes
Water Notes
 
Water Management in Dry land And Irrigation Scheduling in Tobacco
Water Management in Dry land And Irrigation Scheduling in TobaccoWater Management in Dry land And Irrigation Scheduling in Tobacco
Water Management in Dry land And Irrigation Scheduling in Tobacco
 
Water resource management
Water resource managementWater resource management
Water resource management
 
Groundwater project 8
Groundwater project 8Groundwater project 8
Groundwater project 8
 
Geography Chap 13-15-Water
Geography Chap 13-15-Water Geography Chap 13-15-Water
Geography Chap 13-15-Water
 
World Water Forum-Dakar-March2022
World Water Forum-Dakar-March2022World Water Forum-Dakar-March2022
World Water Forum-Dakar-March2022
 
India; Harvesting Rainwater, Catch Water Where it Falls: Rooftop Rain Water ...
India;  Harvesting Rainwater, Catch Water Where it Falls: Rooftop Rain Water ...India;  Harvesting Rainwater, Catch Water Where it Falls: Rooftop Rain Water ...
India; Harvesting Rainwater, Catch Water Where it Falls: Rooftop Rain Water ...
 
Dr Jessica Salas, Kahublagan Sang Panimalay Foundation Philippines
Dr Jessica Salas, Kahublagan Sang Panimalay Foundation PhilippinesDr Jessica Salas, Kahublagan Sang Panimalay Foundation Philippines
Dr Jessica Salas, Kahublagan Sang Panimalay Foundation Philippines
 
Water scarcity and water poverty index in Karachi megacity
Water scarcity and water poverty  index  in Karachi megacityWater scarcity and water poverty  index  in Karachi megacity
Water scarcity and water poverty index in Karachi megacity
 
Rainwater Harvesting Technologies in Makueni County, Kenya
Rainwater Harvesting Technologies in Makueni County, KenyaRainwater Harvesting Technologies in Makueni County, Kenya
Rainwater Harvesting Technologies in Makueni County, Kenya
 
00801177.pdf
00801177.pdf00801177.pdf
00801177.pdf
 
FAO NELWD Bulletin No.2 - 16 Dec, 2013
FAO NELWD Bulletin No.2 - 16 Dec, 2013FAO NELWD Bulletin No.2 - 16 Dec, 2013
FAO NELWD Bulletin No.2 - 16 Dec, 2013
 
Presentation - Seventh Roundtable on Financing Agricultural Water - Jean Marc...
Presentation - Seventh Roundtable on Financing Agricultural Water - Jean Marc...Presentation - Seventh Roundtable on Financing Agricultural Water - Jean Marc...
Presentation - Seventh Roundtable on Financing Agricultural Water - Jean Marc...
 

Water Scarcity in MENA

  • 1. Regional Spotlight: Middle East & Africa Quenching the Middle East’s Thirst Water demand has soared exponentially across the Middle East alongside population, ur- banisation and improving lifestyles. It hasn’t helped that low water tariffs are disproportion- ate to high production costs. Vivek Gautam provides an overview of MENA countries and discusses why policy reforms could be required to address demand issues. H istorically, water unavailability has been a Figure 1. Actual Annual Per Capita Renewable Water Resources key concern across the Middle East and Africa. Many countries in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have renewable wa- ter resources per capita less than 1000 m3/year; the level that defines water scarcity. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of these limited water resources is highly uneven. Over 80% of the region is desert and receives little or no rainfall. Water supply provi- sions under such conditions have always been a key policy issue with social, economic and environmental ramifica- tions. In the past it has been erratic rainfall and prolonged drought periods, widely believed to be manifestations of climate change, which have added a new dimension to the problem. This is particularly the case with Syria, Jordan, Israel and Algeria, which are facing severe water shortages. Source: FAO Aquastat 1993-2012 While supplies are constrained, the demand for freshwater over the years has continued to increase at a rapid pace. This increase in ation. Although doing away with freshwater supply augmentation demand is a result of several interplaying forces. Across MENA, the projects may not be possible, there is a strong case in favor of tap- agricultural sector is the prime consumer of water. In some countries, ping non-conventional water resources like sewage and industrial ef- it accounts for over 80% of the total annual water withdrawals. Agri- fluents, which have traditionally been neglected. Industry experts are cultural subsidies, improving irrigation and pumping technologies and of the opinion that policy reforms are required to address demand the discovery of fossil groundwater reserves have helped expansion side issues, while addressing supply side problems require practicing of agricultural activity. integrated water resource management. GROUNDWATER SUPPLIES WASTEWATER RECYCLING In several areas, water demand for irrigation far exceeds the natu- From the economical and environmental standpoint, wastewater ral recharge of groundwater reservoirs. Over-extraction of aquifers reclamation and reuse makes good sense. It can reduce or eliminate has led to a decline in the water table. At the same time, groundwater health and environmental hazards associated with effluent discharg- quality has deteriorated due to an influx of saline water from laterally es. At the same time, it generates an alternative resource and thereby surrounding areas, excessive use of fertilisers and localised discharge prevents immediate investment in costly water supply schemes (stor- of brine and sewage effluent into deserts. age, transfer or desalination plants). In the case of the municipal sector, water demand has been soar- Despite these potential benefits, so far wastewater reuse across ing due to growing population, urbanisation and improving lifestyles. most MENA countries has remained limited. One of the impeding In the resource-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, per factors is inadequate wastewater infrastructure. Though MENA capita household consumption is much higher that the per capita countries have made considerable progress in extending sewage consumption in some developed societies. For instance, in Abu Dha- collection network in urban areas, treatment capacities remain un- bi, the per capita demand varies from 170-200 liters per day in flats even. Much of the collected wastewater is discharged without any to as high as 270-1760 liters per day for people living in villas. treatment into the sea or desert. Even where a considerable percent- In urban areas, a large proportion of desalinated water is used age of the collected wastewater is treated, societal perceptions have for household gardening, maintaining public and private parks, car Figure 1. Per Capita Water Consumption for Select Countries washing, etc. Water tariffs are low and disproportionate to the high production cost, thereby allowing such extravagant use of this scarce liters/capita/day resource. Besides agricultural and municipal sector, expanding in- United Arab Emirates 653 dustrial activity too has contributed its fair share towards the overall Bahrain 571 water demand. Kuwait 441 With many countries approaching the limit of water resource devel- Jordan 143 opment and others reeling under severe supply shortages, the prob- Palestine 50 lem of water scarcity is turning into a crisis. Governments and planning agencies are being forced to think of alternative options to ease the situ- Source: Economic & Social Council West Asia (ESCWA), 2009 38 February/March | 2009 www.wwinternational.com
  • 2. Jordan’s Disi water conveyance Regional Spotlight: Middle East & Africa project involves a 325-km pipeline being built through the Jordanian desert to Abu Alanda and Dabuk reservoirs. kept the demand for reclaimed wastewater low. However, considering the fact that MENA countries are facing a situation of dwindling renew- able water resources per capita and an ever-increasing demand, it may no longer be possible to neglect this valuable resource. Planning agencies have to con- template ways to realise the po- tential of wastewater as a water supply resource. enhance water supplies. Ashkelon desalination plant, which is the In a bid to bring best technologies and adoption of international largest reverse osmosis-based plant across the world, was opened in best practices in development and management of wastewater infra- 2005. It is expected to provide 100 million m3/year of desalinated wa- structure, GCC countries have embarked upon privatisation of such ter. Algeria, too, has favored seawater desalination to ensure continu- utilities. National Water Company in Saudi Arabia has rolled out a ous water supplies irrespective of the rainfall. In 2008 it implemented two-phase strategic transformation initiative to develop wastewater four desalination plants with total capacity of 720,000 m3 /year. Since infrastructure in 15 cities. Similarly, Haya Water (Oman Wastewater desalination has become more affordable over the years due to tech- Services Company) has prepared a three-phase wastewater master nological advances, it will not be surprising if more nations opt for it. plan for the Muscat governorate with an objective to cover 80% of the population by 2014. WATER CONSERVATION AND DEMAND MANAGEMENT Many private sector residential projects and townships too have In recent times, there has been an increasing realisation that the set-up wastewater treatment plants, in some cases even with tertiary MENA region has to be more cautious when using a resource as treatment. At the same time, to address the issue of low demand indispensable and scarce as water. Planning agencies and water au- for treated wastewater several alternative uses are being considered. thorities feel that an incessant supply addition may not be the most Israel, Jordan and Tunisia’s experience in wastewater reuse suggests pragmatic approach to deal with the water scarcity issue. application of treated sewage effluent (TSE) for agriculture, forestry Accordingly, authorities are contemplating both technological and and ground water recharge. policy measures to promote efficient usage of water. For instance, Besides this, in the last few years the water demand for non-po- Abu Dhabi’s water resources master plan suggests bringing down table applications such as landscaping, golf courses, district cooling, transmission and distribution losses from the current 17% to 10%. construction work, etc. has gone up significantly, thereby providing On the policy side, a progressive increase in water tariffs is being alternative avenues for wastewater reuse. Initiatives are required on advocated. Among other water conservation measures, recently the behalf of the local authorities to bring in the necessary changes in Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) has announced a drive to regulation, redraft guidelines and open up these areas for use of re- install flow restrictors in 55,000 households and 5,000 public build- claimed wastewater. ings. These devices can reduce the flow of water from 12 litre/min to 3-6 litre/min and should result in considerable water savings. SUPPLY AND DEMAND The agricultural sector, the largest and most inefficient consumer Over the last five decades, supply augmentation has been the of water across MENA, presents greatest potential for water con- central approach to deal with water scarcity. The resource rich GCC servation. Many experts have suggested bringing about a shift in countries, with little renewable water, have invested heavily in seawa- crop patterns and encouraging drought tolerant varieties. However, ter desalination. Countries with considerable surface water resourc- governments have been slow in implementing such measures since es, such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Morocco have focused on social implications can be wide-ranging and less understood. In building water conveyance and storage structures. Also throughout comparison, encouraging adoption of advanced and more efficient MENA much effort has been made towards discovery and develop- irrigation techniques is much favored. For instance, Morocco’s new ment of fossil groundwater aquifers. water strategy has set a target to convert 480,000 ha, over a 10- While in the present context, the importance of measures for water year period, into drip from the existing surface irrigation. Syria, too, demand management and wastewater reclamation and reuse can- is providing strong incentives to farmers to shift from surface to drip not be understated, these may not be sufficient to plug the demand- irrigation. A fund has been set up to assist this modernisation. supply gap. Although Israel and Jordan have wastewater reuse rates The water supply situation in the MENA region is precarious. To- as high as 80%, they have adopted highly efficient irrigation tech- day, it presents the biggest risk to the sustained socio-economic nologies (drip irrigation). Jordan’s Disi water conveyance project is development of the region. Any future strategies to deal with this one such attempt. The US$1 billion project involves construction and increasingly challenging situation must consider wastewater reuse, operation of a 325-Km pipeline to transfer water extracted from the water conservation and demand management as a central part Disi well field in Jordan’s southern desert to Abu Alanda and Dabuk of the solution. WWi reservoirs. The project should deliver 100 million m3 of water every year and help address acute water shortages in the capital city of Author’s note: Vivek Gautam is an industry analyst, envi- Amman and surrounding areas. ronment and building technologies practice, South Asia and Unlike Jordan, Israel has a long coastline along the Mediterranean Middle East for Frost & Sullivan. For feedback/enquiries please Sea, hence a number of desalination plants have been planned to email: tanu.chopra@frost.com Enquiry No. 111 www.wwinternational.com February/March | 2009 39