Written by Rihab Abu Hosn
Translated by Rabab Housseiny
International studies and reports on water underline that hunger and thirst sternly threaten the Arab world if immediate and urgent coming-off measures are not taken to combat water shortage.
A study on the future of water resources in the Arab world conducted by the Arab Center for studying arid regions sounded the alarm for an eventual 261-billion-m3 water scarcity in the year 2030.
The center highlighted that the Arab world had at its disposal a huge stock of non-renewable water resources, deemed as strategic.
The study linked the future needs of water to the demographic increase in the Arab world; worth-mentioning, Arab population is expected to amount to 735 billion capitals in 2030, whereby 9.10 billion m3 of water per undergo desalination and treatment.
The study also noted that nearly 83 million persons lack pure drinking water, whereas 96 million do not enjoy adequate health conditions. Most of these persons live in underdeveloped countries which are occupied or in state of war and civil conflicts.
This major critical situation prompted the organization of the third Arab Forum on Environment and Development, entitled "Water: A Permanent Management of Diminishing Resources".
According to the report issued by the forum and put forth by the former head of Global Environment Facility, Mohammed Al-Ashri, water level is to sharply dwindle in 2015 and not in 2025 as expected. Awareness must be hence spread as to water usage, seawater desalination, and development of cultures that do not require considerable water quantities.
The forum will be launching this report at its third annual conference, to be held on November 4, at Habtoor Grand Hotel-Beirut, under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and in presence of a panel of specialists and representatives of more than 42 Arab and foreign countries, as well as representatives of Ministries, and institutions and companies of Europe, Mexico, and America.
The report presents different available resources of fresh water along with the increasing demand especially that the Arab region is among the poorest regions in water worldwide.
"Water will become very rare in the region as of 2015, and merely 500m3 will be at the disposal of each person", the report read.
The 2010 report is deemed as one of the forum's most accurate descriptions, whereby it tackles the issues of fresh water availability in the Arab world. Within this frame, it is dire to underscore that Iraq and Sudan are the sole Arab countries where 1000m3 will be at the disposal of each person per year.
The report also stated that water crisis in Lebanon is due to a bad management of resources as well as to waste. "Lebanon is one of the richest countries in water in the region; it is also one of the very few which take advantage of its own fresh water resources", the report read.
However, Lebanon is among poorest in water worldwide, along with other 18 countries.
Experts submit in their report that the Arab world is currently witnessing a major water crisis, quite likely to exacerbate as climate change persists. "85% of fresh water in the Arab countries is used in traditional irrigation", they reckoned.
Specialists say despite all measures, all the Arab countries, except for Lebanon, Iraq, and Sudan, ought to opt for sea desalination in the future.
It is to be mentioned that Dr. Farouk Baz, Director of the Astronomy Center at the University of Boston, will present one of the most sessions of the conference, whereby he is to tackle potential underground waters in the desert.
A session devoted to discuss the Arab participation in the summit on environment in Mexico in forthcoming December is also scheduled to be held during the conference where a first-time practical guide on using water in the Arab world will be launched by Najib Saab, Secretary-General of the Arab Forum on Environment and Development.
