Managing Scarce Water Resources in Agriculture in West Asia and North Africa - Restorative Redevelopment of Devastated Ecocultural Landscapes - page 442

1200 100

90

85

80

1000

80

70

70

800

60

53

600 50

40

400

30

20

200

10

0 0

1990 2000 2025 2050

% Agriculture share of total
Total available water per capita
Agriculture share of water per capita

FIGURE 22.3 Declining agricultural water in the WANA region. Source : Oweis (1997).

Water is a vital element in the continued economic development of the dry areas
for improved living conditions of the people. The current water supplies will not
be sufficient for economic growth in all the countries of the region except Turkey
and Iran. Water scarcity in this region has already hampered the development in all
countries. It is, therefore, essential that substantial changes be made in the way water
is valued and managed to help overcome water shortages.

OPTIONS FOR COPING WITH WATER SCARCITY

Potential consequences of severe water shortages may include: abandonment of
agricultural land, water quality deterioration, waterborne diseases, and conflicts in
transboundary basins. Major investments are necessary to develop and implement
new water policies, monitoring systems, water-saving technologies, and management
practices to sustain agricultural production and communities. A number of promising
options to cope with the dilemma of water scarcity in the region will be elaborated.

d eveloPing n eW W ater s UPPlies

Although very limited, new waters in the dry areas mainly come from nonconven-
tional sources that include desalination, marginal quality water, water transfers, and
water harvesting.
Desalinization is an expensive process, and hence is currently mainly used in
areas where an affordable energy source is available such as the Gulf countries where
part of the desalinized water is used for irrigation. The total production of fresh
water may reach up to 913 billion m 3 annually for some 18 million inhabitants. The
seawater desalinization cost ranges between US$1.00 to 1.80 per m 3 . Some reported
lower costs but with subsidized energy. Costs may become feasible for agricultural