Middle East and North Africa

In the Middle East and North Africa, one of the driest parts of the world, five percent of the world’s population share one percent of Earth’s freshwater resources. Increasing demand over the last decades has aggravated the situation and led to over-extraction of renewable water resources. Sustainable methods for water resources management in the region are urgent but their application complex: 60 percent of the region’s water flows across international borders and sometimes across open conflicts.

Facts:

• In the Middle East and North Africa region, 5% of the world´s population share 1% of the world’s water.

• Per capita water availability is expected to fall by half by 2050, with serious consequences for the region’s already-stressed aquifers and natural hydrological systems. (The World Bank, 2007)

• Some 60 percent of MENA:s water flows across international borders, further complicating the resource management challenge. (The World Bank, 2007)

• In the MENA region, over-extraction of groundwater is undermining national assets at rates equivalent to 1 to 2 percent of GDP every year in some countries, while environmental problems related to water cost between 0.5 and 2.5 percent of GDP every year. (The World Bank, 2007)