Water scarcity is a subject that has been given enough attention in the Mena region, where it is a serious problem. Its availability has always been a concern, particularly in the Arab world, whose population of more than 360 million people suffers from one of the lowest levels of available fresh water in the world, both on an absolute and per capita basis. As a report published last year by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (Unescwa) put it, the region's people live "in conditions that range from water scarcity to absolute scarcity".
Of the 17 most water-stressed countries, 12 are located in Mena, according to the World Resource Institute. The World Bank estimates that climate-related water scarcity will cost the region 6 to 14 per cent of its GDP by 2050, with 70 per cent of the region's GDP exposed to "high or very high water stress".
Although the economic, health and social impacts of Covid-19 have attracted much attention, in the background concern over water resources has been rising. Each country in the region is facing its own water challenges but more recently, a variety of factors have exacerbated them. As Unescwa notes, these include a reliance on shared water resources across countries (many of which already find it difficult to co-operate across their borders), occupation and conflict affecting people’s ability to access water and sanitation services, global warming and related extreme weather, pollution, ageing infrastructure, inefficient water usage and high population growth rates.
Only two per cent of the Arab region is covered by wetlands, and 94 per cent of those are vulnerable to climate change. This makes coping with future water demands critical for the region’s well-being. Climate change may be a global threat, but its impact in Mena is particularly severe. Climate-induced water challenges in an already arid region require immediate attention. And although shortages of water are not new, the ever-increasing demand for it, coupled with the impacts of climate change, is exacerbating pressure on this vital resource.
Climate change may be a global issue, but its impact in Mena is particularly severe
The compounding effects of erratic rainfall, rapid urbanisation, rising desertification and increased risk of droughts will worsen water scarcity. Earlier this year, several countries in the region were hit by storms. In Cairo, unseasonally heavy rainfall and widespread flooding left many urban areas struggling to access potable water for a month. And in other parts of the region, more frequent droughts caused by climatic scenarios are expected to result in increases in soil and ground water salinity.
The need to prepare for future severe-weather events caused by climate change to achieve water security in the region is key.
Beyond its environmental effects, however, continued water scarcity could have several negative social and economic implications. Climate change will be a significant factor in forced human migration, in large part because of the water scarcity. And as the shortage becomes more acute, so does the risk of water-related disputes. Globally, tension is building over increasing competition for resources. Researchers anticipate that this will heighten the risk of future armed conflict.
Already, must work has been done by researchers about the role of water scarcity in igniting the Syrian civil war and fuelling armed conflict in Yemen. Now, in eastern Africa, relations between Egypt and Ethiopia have become increasingly heated over a major dam project that is centred on management of the region's water resources.
Water scarcity has also been found to be among the root causes of migration. By 2050, it's estimated that between 150 to 200 million people could be displaced because of climate-related factors such as desertification, sea level rises and increased extreme weather events. It is anticipated that the two major migration tracks will run through Mena and South Asia, according to a new report released by the Institute of Economics and Peace. A global water problem is looming and the Middle East is not immune to it.
While regional co-operation has long been a work in progress in the Arab world, most Arab states are nonetheless highly interdependent, especially when it comes to water. They rely on surface and groundwater reservoirs that straddle their borders, so moving towards a regional approach to combat water scarcity and enhancing water governance is more important than ever. As with any shared problem, facing the challenge requires shared solutions.
The fragility highlighted by the pandemic and the interconnected risks of water scarcity requires renewed political will and a blend of solutions to ensure the region is able to meet its water needs in the future.
Maram Ahmed is a Senior Fellow at Soas, University of London
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The struggle is on for active managers
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Tathoor, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: Aiz Alawda, Fernando Jara, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohammed Daggash
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
Winner: Somoud, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Al Jazi, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
PSL FINAL
Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi
8pm, Thursday
Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
