Water Crisis in The Middle East: An Opportunity for New Forms of Water Governance and Peace

The Middle East, home to 6.3 percent of the world’s population and containing only 1.4 percent of the world’s renewable fresh water, is experiencing an increasing water scarcity crisis.1 The UN presented an alarming report during the last World Water Forum in March 2009 painting a bleak picture of increasing demand and diminishing water supplies.2 Scientifically, the Middle East ran out of water in the 1970s, by then the overall demand for water was more than the resource could provide. A situation affecting millions of individuals.3 The Middle East is the most water-scarce region in the world.4 In 1955, three Arab countries suffered water scarcity; today, that number is eleven and scholars predict seven more nations joining the list by 2025.5 While population growth plays a huge role in the increased demand, the agricultural sector accounts for more than 70 percent of water use throughout the region. The introduction of pumpwells and massive irrigation schemes nearly doubled the amount of irrigated land between 1965 and 1997.6