While the climate crisis and skyrocketing world population make water scarcity a pressing global issue, it is one which acutely affects the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. 16 out of the 25 most water-stressed countries in the world are in the MENA region. 1 A country facing extremely high water stress refers to a country which is utilizing a minimum of 80 percent of its available supply.2 The region receives only 2 percent of the world’s renewable freshwater resources despite being home to 6 percent of the world’s population. 3 In the MENA region, 83% of the population is exposed to extremely high water stress. The arid climate and limited freshwater supplies of the region are ill equipped to address growing water demand, which has doubled globally since 1960. 4 The figure below, from the World Resources Institute depicts a map of water stress in the MENA region. 5 

The devastating impact of water scarcity is affecting the region in a variety of ways. To begin with, water, or the lack thereof, is being weaponized as an instrument of warfare, including attacks on critical water infrastructure.6 For example, in Yemen, water treatment facilities have been targeted. In 2022, three airstrikes on the Talmous water station and its Sa’ada City reservoirs were carried out by the Saudi Arabian coalition. As the sole water supplier to Sa’ada City and its suburbs, this attack affected an estimated 200,000 people amidst a conflict that has already experienced a severe water shortage.7In Gaza, satellite data has revealed that more than half of the water and sanitation sites there have been damaged or destroyed in the conflict since October 7th. Of 603 water and sanitation facilities analyzed by British Broadcasting Corporation satellite data, 53 percent appeared damaged or destroyed. Since not all damage is visible via satellite images, the scope of the destruction is likely even greater. Contaminated water and the presence of untreated sewage has led to increases in the rates of Hepatitis A and other potentially deadly diseases to which children and pregnant women are particularly susceptible.8  

Children experiencing long-term conflicts are three times more likely, on average, to die from water-related diseases than from violence.9In Syria, lack of access to clean water was observed in 2013 to have contributed to a surge in Hepatitis A virus, enterovirus, Shigella, and Escherichia coli. Crowded living conditions in refugee camps also increased the likelihood of limited clean water supplies being contaminated by affected individuals.10  

Furthermore, water scarcity can lead to critical economic losses. The rise in global temperatures is expected to exacerbate the water crisis in the MENA region, and climate-related water scarcity could create economic losses equivalent to up to 14 percent of the region’s GDP over the next 30 years, according to the World Bank.11 Globally, 31% of world GDP, about $70 trillion, will face the effects of high water stress by 2050.12 Water shortages can cause energy outages and losses to agricultural production. Global food security is thus put at risk by water scarcity. 60 percent of the world’s irrigated agriculture already faces extremely high water stress.13 Sugarcane, wheat, rice, and maize in particular are affected. Yet the world population is projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, which will necessitate a 56 percent increase in food calories from what was produced in 2010, while simultaneously addressing increasing water scarcity, and the amplified effects of climate induced disasters.14 

Yet despite the severity of water stress in the Middle East, there is hope for a conceivable solution to water challenges. Improved water resource management and efficiency, enhanced sustainable water innovations, and environmentally conscious water infrastructure are key methods to reduce water stress in the Middle East. In fact, there are a number of initiatives which have begun to work towards engineering solutions to water scarcity in the region. 

One such strategy is water desalination. This is the process of removing salts and minerals from saline water. The trade bloc known at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) includes Bahrain, Kuwai, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This trade bloc is ramping up its desalination and water conservation efforts in the region. Over half of the world’s total desalination output comes from the GCC, but this bloc’s combined desalination capacity is expected to increase by 40 percent in the region in the next 5 years.15 This is a rise from the current 18.18 million cubic meters per day to over 25 million cubic meters per day.16 There are more than 300 desalination plants along the southern coasts of the Persian Gulf. The goal of desalination is to meet the high water demand in the region. The projected annual water demand of the GCC is put at over 50 billion cubic meters by 2030.17In order to execute desalination at the necessary scale, the GCC countries will need a vast amount of power to fuel the process. These countries are thus exploring renewable energy options to fuel desalination efforts. 

For example, in the UAE, the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 intends to reduce carbon emissions associated with the desalination process by 100 million metric tons, as well as ensuring sustainable access to water in normal and crisis situations.18 This plan also aims to increase the reuse of treated water and increase the national storage capacity for water. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), desalination plants in areas with plenty of sun can harness solar power as a sustainable alternative energy solution.19 Another downside to the desalination process that the UNEP mentions is the occurrence of toxic brine, a by-product which can be harmful to coastal and marine ecosystems. However, the UNEP also suggests that the use of this brine with regard to commercial salt, metal recovery, and fish production systems can provide economic opportunities.20 Water desalination thus provides a solution to water scarcity in the MENA region which can address rampant water demand, but also contains some environmental drawbacks. 

Desalination is not the only water scarcity solution being pursued in the middle east. In 2023, Khalifa University of Science and Technology partnered with UAE manufacturer Eshara Water, Swedish energy storage technology company Azelio AB, and Masdar City, to launch the world’s first atmospheric water generation system (AWG) powered exclusively by solar energy and electrical thermal energy storage.21 An atmospheric water generator extracts water directly from ambient air to deliver potable water. Khalifa University has installed 450 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic panels for this AWG project, which is funded by Azelio.22 Given that by 2050, the region is expected to require an additional 25 billion cubic meters of water yearly, which is equal to building 65 relatively large desalination plants, solar powered AWG’s signal a significant and efficient advancement towards sustainable water solutions.23 

The stakes of water scarcity are high, threatening the livelihoods of tens of millions of inhabitants in the MENA region, and across the globe. As the world population climbs, and the climate crisis continues to exacerbate extreme drought conditions, extremely water stressed regions in the Middle East are facing immense pressure to bridge the gap between water demand and supply. Countries within the Gulf Cooperation Council have begun rising to the occasion, as illustrated by the aforementioned initiatives designed to address water scarcity. Investments by countries into desalination efforts which take into account potential environmental ramifications are one avenue which has been taken as a solution to address water scarcity. 

The solar powered atmospheric water generation system engineered in the UAE is another environmentally conscious and sustainable technological solution engineered to address water scarcity. Such solutions offer the promise of an efficient and sustainable supply of clean water in the Middle East, which will aid in the health and well- being of the region's inhabitants, as well as the economic wellbeing of countries which depend upon access to reliable water reserves to support industries such as agriculture. The issue of water scarcity in the MENA region has not yet been resolved, but with continued investment in sustainable water infrastructure and enhanced technological solutions, a region with dependable access to clean water is feasible.

1 Mohammed Mahmoud, “The Looming Climate and Water Crisis in the Middle East and North Africa,” Carnegieendowment.org, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2024, 

https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/04/the-looming-climate-and-water-crisis-in-the-middle-east-and-north -africa?lang=en.

2 Samantha Kuzma, Liz Saccoccia, Marlena Chertock, “25 Countries, Housing One-quarter of the Population, Face Extremely High Water Stress,” Wri.org, World Resources Institute, 2023, 

https://www.wri.org/insights/highest-water-stressed-countries. 

3 Rasha Abou Dargham, “ Water doesn’t come from a tap,” Unicef.org, UNICEF, 2024, 

https://www.unicef.org/mena/water-doesnt-come-tap#:~:text=The%20Middle%20East%20and%20North%20Africa %20is%20the%20world%27s%20most,region%20is%20likely%20to%20worsen. 

4 Samantha Kuzma, Liz Saccoccia, Marlena Chertock, “25 Countries, Housing One-quarter of the Population, Face Extremely High Water Stress,” Wri.org, World Resources Institute, 2023, 

https://www.wri.org/insights/highest-water-stressed-countries. 

5Ibid. 

6 Rasha Aou Dargham, “ Water doesn’t come from a tap,” Unicef.org, UNICEF, 2024, 

https://www.unicef.org/mena/water-doesnt-come-tap#:~:text=The%20Middle%20East%20and%20North%20Africa %20is%20the%20world%27s%20most,region%20is%20likely%20to%20worsen.

7 “Saudi Attacks Water Facilities in Yemen,” Waterdiplomat.org, The Water Diplomat, 2022, https://www.waterdiplomat.org/story/2022/01/saudi-attacks-water-facilities-yemen. 

8 Kayleen Devlin, Maryam Ahmed, Daniele Palumbo, “Half of Gaza water sites damaged or destroyed, BBC satellite data reveals,” Bbc.com, The British Broadcasting Corporation, 2024, 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68969239#:~:text=Half%20of%20Gaza%20water%20sites%20dama ged%20or%20destroyed%2C%20BBC%20satellite%20data%20reveals,-8%20May%202024&text=Hundreds%20of %20Gaza's%20water%20and,has%20also%20severely%20disrupted%20repairs. 

9Ibid. 

10 Eskild Petersen, Susan Baekeland, Ziad A. Memish, Hakan Leblebicioglu, “Infectious disease risk from the Syrian conflict,” Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Library of Medicine, 2013, 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7110758/. 

11 Spencer Feingold, “How can the Middle East and North Africa manage the region's water crisis?,” Weforum.org, World Economic Forum, 2023, 

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/middle-east-north-africa-mena-water-crisis-industry-leaders-solutions/. 

12 Samantha Kuzma, Liz Saccoccia, Marlena Chertock, “25 Countries, Housing One-quarter of the Population, Face Extremely High Water Stress,” Wri.org, World Resources Institute, 2023, 

https://www.wri.org/insights/highest-water-stressed-countries.

13 Ibid. 

14 Ibid. 

15 Joanne McIntyre, “Water in the Middle East - tackling a chronic shortage,” stainless-steel-world.net, Stainless Steel World, 2024, 

https://stainless-steel-world.net/water-in-the-middle-east-tackling-a-chronic-shortage/#:~:text=While%20over%20ha lf%20of%20the,the%20UAE%2C%20Kuwait%20and%20Bahrain. 

16 Joanne McIntyre, “Water in the Middle East - tackling a chronic shortage,” stainless-steel-world.net, Stainless Steel World, 2024, 

https://stainless-steel-world.net/water-in-the-middle-east-tackling-a-chronic-shortage/#:~:text=While%20over%20ha lf%20of%20the,the%20UAE%2C%20Kuwait%20and%20Bahrain. 

17 Ibid. 

18 Ibid.

19 “Towards sustainable desalination,” Unep.org, United Nations Environment Programme, 2019, https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/towards-sustainable-desalination. 

20 Ibid. 

21 “Khalifa University launches world’s first solar-powered atmospheric water generator,” Gulfbusiness.com, Gulf Business, 2023, 

https://gulfbusiness.com/khalifa-university-launches-solar-powered-awg/. 

22 Ibid. 

23 Marwa Hassan, Cody Combs, “Drawing water from desert air no longer a mirage,” Thenationalnews.com, The National, 2024, 

https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2024/03/22/drawing-water-from-desert-air-no-longer-a-mirage/ . 

References

Mahmoud, Mohammed. “The Looming Climate and Water Crisis in the Middle East and North Africa.” Carnegieendowment.org. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2024. 

https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/04/the-looming-climate-and-water crisis-in-the-middle-east-and-north-africa?lang=en. 

Kuzma, Samantha. Saccoccia, Liz. Chertock, Marlena. “25 Countries, Housing One-quarter of the Population, Face Extremely High Water Stress.” Wri.org. World Resources Institute, 2023. https://www.wri.org/insights/highest-water-stressed-countries. 

Abou Dargham, Rasha. “ Water doesn’t come from a tap.” Unicef.org. UNICEF, 2024. https://www.unicef.org/mena/water-doesnt-come-tap#:~:text=The%20Middle%20 East%20and%20North%20Africa%20is%20the%20world%27s%20most,region% 20is%20likely%20to%20worsen. 

Feingold, Spencer. “How can the Middle East and North Africa manage the region's water crisis?” Weforum.org. World Economic Forum, 2023. 

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/middle-east-north-africa-mena-water-c risis-industry-leaders-solutions/. 

McIntyre, Joanne. “Water in the Middle East - tackling a chronic shortage.” stainless-steel-world.net. Stainless Steel World, 2024. 

https://stainless-steel-world.net/water-in-the-middle-east-tackling-a-chronic-short age/#:~:text=While%20over%20half%20of%20the,the%20UAE%2C%20Kuwait %20and%20Bahrain. 

“Towards sustainable desalination.” Unep.org. United Nations Environment Programme, 2019. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/towards-sustainable-desalination. 

“Khalifa University launches world’s first solar-powered atmospheric water generator.” Gulfbusiness.com. Gulf Business, 2023. https://gulfbusiness.com/khalifa-university-launches-solar-powered-awg/. 

Hassan, Marwa. Combs, Cody. “Drawing water from desert air no longer a mirage.” Thenationalnews.com. The National, 2024.  

https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2024/03/22/drawing-water-fr om-desert-air-no-longer-a-mirage/.

“Saudi Attacks Water Facilities in Yemen.” Waterdiplomat.org. The Water Diplomat, 2022. https://www.waterdiplomat.org/story/2022/01/saudi-attacks-water-facilities-yeme n. 

Petersen, Eskild. Baekeland, Susan. Memish, Ziad A., Leblebicioglu, Hakan. “Infectious disease risk from the Syrian conflict.” Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Library of Medicine, 2013. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7110758/. 

Devlin, Kayleen. Ahmed, Maryam. Palumbo, Daniele. “Half of Gaza water sites damaged or destroyed, BBC satellite data reveals.” Bbc.com. The British Broadcasting Corporation, 2024. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68969239#:~:text=Half%20of%20Gaza%20water %20sites%20damaged%20or%20destroyed%2C%20BBC%20satellite%20data% 20reveals,-8%20May%202024&text=Hundreds%20of%20Gaza's%20water%20a nd,has%20also%20severely%20disrupted%20repairs.