Abstract
AbstractWater scarcity in the Arab region is intensifying due to population growth, economic development, and the impacts of climate change. It is manifested in groundwater depletion, freshwater ecosystem degradation, deteriorating water quality, low levels of water storage per capita, and added pressures on transboundary water resources. High‐income Arab countries have sought to circumvent the ever‐present challenges of water scarcity through agricultural imports (virtual water trade), desalination, and, increasingly, wastewater reuse. In this review article, we argue that the narrative of water scarcity and supply‐side technological fixes masks more systemic issues that threaten sustainable water management, including underperforming water utilities, protracted armed conflict and displacement, agricultural policies aimed at self‐sufficiency, evolving food consumption behaviors, the future of energy markets, and educational policy. Water management challenges, particularly on the demand side, and responses in the Arab region cannot be understood in isolation from these broader regional and international political and socioeconomic trends. Recognizing the complex and interdependent challenges of water management is the first step in reforming approaches and shifting to more sustainable development outcomes and stability in the Arab region and beyond.
Highlights
For thousands of years, societies in the Arab region have adapted to arid landscapes through innovations and investments in water management and irrigated agriculture
We argue that the narrative of water scarcity and supply‐side technological fixes masks more systemic issues that threaten sustainable water management, including underperforming water utilities, protracted armed conflict and displacement, agricultural policies aimed at self‐sufficiency, evolving food consumption behaviors, the future of energy markets, and educational policy
On the demand side, and responses in the Arab region cannot be understood in isolation from these broader regional and international political and socioeconomic trends
Summary
Societies in the Arab region have adapted to arid landscapes through innovations and investments in water management and irrigated agriculture. The region has historically adapted to water scarcity, burgeoning populations, rapid urbanization, and increased economic development mean that sustainable water management is becoming a defining issue for the Arab region in the 21st century (Gleick, 1994). This review assesses the status of sustainable water management in the Arab region by examining progress toward the “water SDG” (i.e., SDG 6: “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”). It describes how uncertain regional and global trends shape countries' progress toward this goal. To enable us to reflect economic differences across the region, while still writing a concise review, the following income‐based typology (with income data from 2019, details in supporting information Table S1) is used throughout this paper: BORGOMEO ET AL
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