Arab Countries need $200 billion in water-related infrastructure

Addressing UNSGAB, Dr Ali reminded that, while the Arab region was
home to 5 percent of the world’s population, it only possesses 1
percent of its renewable water resources, making it the driest region
in the world. Today's average annual water availability per capita is
merely a third of what it used to be in 1960, and is expected to drop
by more than a half by 2050 to 550 m3 per capita per year, just
slightly above the absolute water scarcity threshold of 500 m3 per
capita per year, he added.


Population growth, urbanization and declining water quality are
putting unprecedented pressure on the Arab region’s dwindling water
resources, some 60 percent of which emanate from outside the region
itself, Dr Ali said. "This worrisome situation is being further
exacerbated by climate change, food security concerns (in the
aftermath of the global food security crisis that saw food prices
surge dramatically in spring 2008) and the looming global recession
resulting from the unfolding global financial crisis. With as much as
80-90 percent of the total water allocation going to irrigation,
there is growing competition in the Arab Region amongst the main
water using sector: domestic, industrial and irrigation."


Recognizing these formidable challenges, Dr Ali said, the IDB Group
Vision 2020, a blue print for its long-term objectives, singled out
the provision of water and sanitation as one of its main themes.