This is not a regular post. Just recommendation. I have seen a few articles about a water scarcity and disputes on the Middle East on this platform. The theme was touched by Hassam and Pabitra, for instance. Lluís Torrent wrote a whole article about it and Lara Smallman said in her last post: „We're hearing non-stop about the Middle East; about decades of injustice, repression and deep rooted poverty. What we aren't hearing about is rising food prices, inextricably tied to a growing regional water crisis.“
Unfortunatelly she forgot to add the source of her info. It is an article from the last issue of The Observer, a great piece by the Guardian's environment editor John Vidal.
Sana'a in Yemen may be the first capital city in the world to run out of water. Photo: Ferdinand Reus / Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0
In the beginning, Vidal states that „water usage in north Africa and the Middle East is unsustainable and shortages are likely to lead to further instability – unless governments take action to solve the impending crisis“.
Then he mentions a new report, the Blue Peace by Strategic Foresight Group, which is focused on long-term prospects for seven countries, including Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, the Palestinian territories and Israel. „Five already suffer major structural shortages, it said, and the amount of water being taken from dwindling sources across the region cannot continue much longer,“ writes Vidal.
He quotes a few experts and then he describes the situation in Yemen, „the region's most food- and water-insecure country“. According to article, Yemen „gets less than 200 cubic metres of water per person a year – well below the international water poverty line of 1,000m3 – and must import 80-90% of its food.“ Yemen government has even considered moving its capital city Sana'a (with around two million innhabitants), which is expected to run dry within six years.
Other Arab countries are treated also, though not in so detailed way. Vidal is weighing responses to the critical situation as well. „A few Arab leaders recognise that water and energy profligacy must be curbed if ecological disaster is to be avoided,“ he writes and brings particular examples from United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia.
In the end Vidal returns to the Blue Peace report. „Water shortages are now so alarming that in a few years opposing camps will have little choice but to co-operate and share resources, or face ruinous conflict,“ concludes the Blue Peace report. And this I see as a really interesting prediction of the Blue Peace Report: „That way, instead of a potential accelerator of conflict, the water crisis can become an opportunity for a new form of peace where any two countries with access to adequate, clean and sustainable water resources do not feel motivated to engage in a military conflict.“
Well, I encourage all bloggers to read John Vidal‘s article – and to cite their sources properly.
*Feature Image Credit: Ferdinand Reus / Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0
I want to thank Lara for her straight response to my warning that we should cite our sources properly. I appreciate her approach. More here http://water.thinkaboutit.eu/think5/post/water_more_important_than_oil_part_2/
Thank you for informating us! Very interesting article, thank you also for the Vidal link.
Situation in Yemen is tragic, completely outragous. When i see the stats of Yemen, I think that Cyprus water problems may not be that serious after all! Especially when plants like those in Abu Dhabi and Dubai seem only a dream, thanks to political and financial state of Yemen. Or is the uprising of the arab countries a hope for that? Hm…
We are also in the road to desalination, it´s been weeks since I started a piece on that but busy days are not over yet. I hope to finish it soon!
Thanks Jan. As explained in my post - in the rush of posting I absent-mindedly forgot the link, which is to a Guardian (not Observer) article, and has since been added to the post
Back to your post, and other than pointing out my oversight, and beyond paraphrasing Vidal’s words, I wondered what your thoughts/views/perceptions on the article and issue are?
Thanks Jan. As explained in my post - in the rush of posting I absent-mindedly forgot the link, which is to a Guardian (not Observer) article, and has since been added to the post
Back to your post, and other than pointing out my oversight, and beyond paraphrasing Vidal’s words, I wondered what your thoughts/views/perceptions on the article and issue are?
Thanks Jan. As explained in my post - in the rush of posting I absent-mindedly forgot the link, which is to a Guardian (not Observer) article, and has since been added to the post
Back to your post, and other than pointing out my oversight, and beyond paraphrasing Vidal’s words, I wondered what your thoughts/views/perceptions on the article and issue are?
to Avgi
Thanks Avgi. Looking forward to read your post.
to Lara
The article is really from The Observer. The source is right below John Vidal’s name. Right now it is even on the main page of The Observer - http://observer.guardian.co.uk/ (left bar, section Discover). It is true that link goes to Guardian’s website, but it is just because The Observer has its pages on the Guardian’s www. But it does not matter, more important is the Vidal’s article (and the situation in the Arab world).
I decided to emphasize the article because I like the way how it is written. In general I think that the problems with our basic needs are sometimes influencing the feeling in the whole society. Problems with the subsistence could lead to a major shifts in cultural values. I know that people interested in a history often think about it in terms of the religion or politics, cultural ideas etc. But I think one of the really strong driving forces behind the development of cultures or civilizations is the state of the environment and the shortage/abundance of basic needs. I believe that trends in the climate (for instance) could have an impact on the rise/failure of the societies. And for this reason I like to read an article which might show one of the driving forces behind the present events in north Africa and the Middle East. What more, in my opinion this article is perfectly written. Usually one have to find deeper informations in studies or so. Media very often focus on disasters, not analysis. I find the Vidal’s piece deep enough but easy to read/understand as well (good factual examples, for instance).
What I like is the “optimism” of the Blue Peace report. Water stress is usually seen as one-hundred-percent cause of the conflicts. And it seems to be valid especially in this nervous region. But thought that “the water crisis can become an opportunity for a new form of peace” sounds reasonably. But maybe I am just naive.
thank you for this usefull article