According to the Stockholm International Water Institute, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), one of the driest parts of the world, five percent of the world’s population share just one percent of Earth’s freshwater resources. The use of sustainable methods for water resources management in the region is urgent but their application is complex. Up to 60 percent of the region’s water flows across borders and sometimes across open conflicts.
The World Bank has reported that per capita water availability in the MENA region is expected to fall by half by 2050, with serious consequences for the region’s already-stressed aquifers and natural hydrological systems. Increasing demand is already rapidly depleting the aquifers. The World Bank noted that in the MENA region, over-extraction of groundwater is undermining national assets at rates equivalent to one to two percent of GDP every year in some countries, while environmental problems related to water cost between one-half and two and one-half percent of GDP every year.
The World Water Week, organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute from Aug. 16-22, is examining many regional and global water related issues. The conference in Stockholm is supported by an excellent website, www.worldwaterweek.org, which enables a global audience to participate in the event. During the conference the UNDP will discuss the conclusions of a regional meeting on cross-border water management and climate change impacts in the Middle East, which are expected to be disproportionately severe in this water scarce region. There are also several seminars on trans-boundary water issues, which are a particular problem facing countries depending on the Nile and the Jordan Rivers.
The main website at www.worldwaterweek.org is packed with information that vividly illustrates the crisis facing the Middle East and our planet, and proposes possible solutions. The Stockholm World Water Cube is the place for online video that focuses on the event. Check it out through www.watercube.tv. There are supporting resources at www.waterfootprint.org, where people can discover their individual, corporate and national “water footprints” — or total measurement of the water used to produce all of the goods and services consumed. And don’t miss the “Play to Stop — Europe for Climate” concert featuring Moby aiming to engage youth in climate change issues. The concert will be streamed over the Web at www.mtvplay4climate.eu.
