Water options in the Middle East: Current trends and innovations

Excerpt

Water as a commodity continues to threaten the sustainability of societies. This threat often manifests itself as “water wars” (Zereini and Hotzl 2008). It is more pronounced in water-scarce countries of the Middle East, from Algeria to the United Arab Emirates. As a result of its hot and arid climate and low levels of ground and surface water, the Middle East is a water-depleted area. Additionally, the impact of global warming continues to exacerbate the region's barren state. Global warming has dried out the natural rivers and streams, leaving the region with acute water shortages (Zereini and Hotzl 2008). New water policies should be implemented to cope with the changing economies and rapid population growth of Middle Eastern countries (Beaumont 2002).

The world has experienced a high population growth rate in the last decades and is estimated to reach 8.9 billion people by 2050 (Geißen 2001). The Middle East is home to 6.3% of the world's population, but the region contains only 1.4% of the world's renewable fresh water (Lipchin et al. 2006). The Middle Eastern population grew from 92 million to 349 million from 1950 to 2000, and it is estimated to increase to 678 million people by 2050…