Making the Most of Scarcity

Water in the Middle East and North Africa region such as insufficient supply, unreliable services and environmental damage have major social and economic ramifications. This publication, subtitled “Accountability for Better Water Management in the Middle East and North Africa,” says per capita availability will fall by half by 2050, water quality is deteriorating, many aquifers are on the verge of exhaustion, and climate change may alter rainfall patterns. Although most countries have made progress improving water policies, some of the most important elements of reform have remained politically intractable. Now, a series of factors are emerging that represent a potential opportunity to break this impasse.