Mitigating negative impacts of global warming on water resources of the Middle East

Abstract

The author's investigation supported by research from Mediterranean countries shows that the present water shortage may worsen, once the globe warms. Thus, a water shortage catastrophe in the Middle East seems imminent. By understanding and evaluating future climatic trends and changes, in which long periods of drought may alternate with periods of abundance and floods, emphasis should be put on enlarging long-term storage capacity, especially that of groundwater resources, this, in some cases, on account of water quality in these reservoirs. The planned, long-term utilization of fossil aquifers, underlying most countries, should also be investigated. Parallel to the climate change with its impact on the hydrologic cycle there will be increasing urbanization and a consequent rising demand for urban water supply, which may be partly answered by desalination of seawater or brackish groundwater, creating more urban sewage water. This after treatment can be reused and also be recharged into aquifers for the purpose of long-term storage. These two changes as well as pressure from population increase and rising standards of living mandate new plans for water resources management, including the creation of a regional, cooperative, long-term plan for the Middle East aiming at increasing and sharing its scarce water resources by agreements on trans-boundary influence and transport. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.