While the majority of people in developed countries don’t have to worry about access to clean drinking water, more than 1 billion throughout the world experience water scarcity and about 2.4 billion have inadequate sanitation. This issue is particularly prevalent in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), which has seven of the 10 most water-stressed countries in the world. As a result of climate change and other factors, including poor water management and growing populations, every country in the MENA region could experience high water stress by 2050, warns the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS).
Countries experiencing conflict, such as Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon, are especially vulnerable to climate change and the least equipped to address potential water shortage concerns. Jordan, however, is investing in multiple innovative water management programs, as are Middle East countries with thriving economies, like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia. Here’s a look at the water-related challenges these countries face and what they’re doing to prepare for the future.
Water Challenges in the Middle East
The average amount of water available for each person per year in MENA was just 480 cubic meters in 2023, the lowest in the world. Climate change is the principal driver of water scarcity, with rivers and lakes drying up and farmers increasingly having to rely on groundwater for their crops. About 25 percent of people in MENA live in places with high stress on groundwater, according to the World Bank. Increased urbanization and demand for cooling will further exacerbate water management issues in the future.
Several MENA countries are projected to experience average temperature increases of about 5 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. An increase of even four degrees Celsius, meanwhile, would result in a decline of about 75 percent in freshwater availability. Without effective and immediate intervention, water insecurity could lead to increased violence and conflict in the Middle East, while also eroding the economic power of governments. Arab states are expected to experience an average 14 percent reduction in GDP due to climate-related water scarcity by 2050.
Water Innovations Technologies Project in Jordan
Jordan is among the most affected MENA countries in terms of water scarcity due to poor infrastructure, but it is making a conscious effort to improve water availability. According to the CSIS, almost half of the country’s water is lost via leaks and theft. However, the country has made efforts to save water via its agriculture-focused Water Innovations Technologies (WIT) project, which involved the installation of sensors and drip irrigation systems to determine when crops require more water.
While this low-cost solution has helped farmers cut back on water usage for crops, many have diverted the water saved via the WIT project to other uses. There needs to be more incentives, the CSIS argues, for these projects to succeed.
Wastewater Treatment Plants
The re-use of treated wastewater is an emerging water-saving strategy, one that can help protect freshwater supplies, reduce methane emissions, and improve health outcomes. Yet, many Middle East countries have been hesitant to invest in wastewater treatment plans. Jordan is a notable exception.
Jordan’s As-Samra wastewater treatment plant, which produces 80 percent of its energy requirements via hydropower and biogas, directs treated wastewater to the King Abdullah Canal, providing more than 100 million cubic meters of additional water supply for farmers. The Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, a co-organizer of the inaugural Water Forum in Kuwait, has also provided more than $8 billion for the development of more than 3,800 kilometers of wastewater networks in Arab countries.
Desalination Plants
Although it could be doing more to advance wastewater treatment, the Middle East has become a global leader in desalination, a process that turns seawater into fresh drinking water by removing minerals and dissolved salts. The region is responsible for about half of the global supply of desalinated water, while eight of the 10 largest desalination plants in the world are in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Producing more than 1 million cubic meters of treated water per day, the Ras Al Khair in Saudi Arabia is the largest desalination plant in the world. It uses reverse osmosis and thermal multi-stage flash technologies and has been in operation since 2014. In the UAE, desalination plants supply more than 40 percent of the country’s drinking water. As part of its UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, the country has built several desalination plans, including Taweelah in Abu Dhabi. This facility, which began operation in March 2024, established a world record for lowest energy consumption value (2.77 kWh/m³) among desalination plants.
Sustainable Farming in the UAE
The UAE is a global leader in sustainable farming, a key practice to alleviate the strain on regional water supply. Smart Acres, a vertical indoor hydroponic farm, produces 20 times as much lettuce per year with 90 percent less water than traditional farming practices. In addition, Khalifa University’s Seawater and Agriculture System created a process that transforms farmed fish and shrimp into fertilizer to grow water- and air-cleansing plants known as halophytes. “As water gets scarcer and climate change affects our ability to grow food, we need to innovate our way to a water- and food-secure future by making the most of the limited resources we have while reducing the impact we make on the environment,” explains International Center for Biosaline Agriculture acting director general Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, speaking to the UAE Pavilion. “And the UAE is becoming a global hub for developing and testing innovations that can help us achieve that.”