In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, water scarcity and security is a pressing and ongoing challenge.
MENA is the most water-scarce region in the world with more than 60 per cent of the population having limited-to-no access to drinkable water.
Furthermore, the region is home to 12 out of 17 of the world’s most water-stressed countries according to the World Resource Institute and 70 per cent of the region’s GDP is exposed to high or very high-water stress.
While water supply has remained constant, rapid population growth and urbanisation has put added pressure on natural freshwater resources and compounded the issue.
Water scarcity is not only a threat to the region’s development but a major trigger of conflict.
In 2017, water played a large role in conflict in at least 45 countries, particularly those in MENA – increasing instability and exacerbating conflict cycles.
The Nile River Basin is a case in point. As climate change threatens to disrupt its flow, it has become an increasing point of contention in recent years with tensions escalating.
As regional water scarcity is set to intensify, what should be done to address water security issues?
Firstly, given the commonality of the challenges, fostering collective efforts is necessary.
Climate-related water security economic losses in the region is estimated to be 6-14 per cent of GDP, according to the World Bank – one of the greatest expected economic losses. These losses and scarcity poses a credible threat to the region’s socioeconomic stability and development.
With around 60 per cent of region’s surface water resources being transboundary and all countries sharing at least one aquifer – the importance of coordinated action and closer engagement cannot be emphasised enough.
What will this look like in practice?
Well, more stakeholder convening is needed to narrow the gap. Existing initiatives such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Water Council, the Arab Ministerial Water Council and the Arab Water Forum may be best placed to address these challenges.
Going forward, 2020 presents a window of opportunity for effective water diplomacy and engagement. This starts will a collaborative approach to effective water management, water governance and transboundary water cooperation. Identifying key entry points through informal and formal platforms could help with the formulation and co-design of policies that could benefit millions across the region.
Second, innovative water and climate financing mechanisms should be explored.
Before that happens, the exact scale of capital needed to ensure the region’s water security has to be known. Once needs have been identified, appropriate funding sources should be explored and matched.
Also, investing in mitigation and adaptation activities should be a priority as water management remains a critical issue – as shown by the frequency of droughts and floods across the region.
To finance these activities there will be no one-size-fits-all approach. Country-driven assessments will be important to the development of a wider regional strategy.
Third, in order to respond to this imperative, promoting environmental stewardship and creating understanding of the issues will help.
Public awareness programmes highlighting the benefits of water conservation efforts will go a long way in raising consciousness among citizens.
To move beyond scarcity, better access to information on water-related issues would encourage citizens to actively participate in water management and conservation efforts.
Governments should also provide support to civil society and nongovernmental organisations as they can play an important role in creating awareness campaigns and sharing good practices.
Given the urgency of the crisis, a move away from reliance on governments alone to solve the crisis to creating an ecosystem that encourages public participation in innovative ways is needed.
Although countries in the region should jointly focus on these priorities to drive progress, acknowledgement of the urgency of the issue and renewed political will should be at the top of the agenda.
The region needs to realise the severe risks involved to any changes in the supply and demand of water. As the effect of climate change worsens, water security can quickly turn into a national security issue.
Recognising the linkages and the shared challenges should encourage advanced cooperation and progress across borders for what could be an opportune time for millions across the region.
Safeguarding water is thus becoming more important than ever and now is the time to address common challenges.
Maram Ahmed is a Senior Fellow at SOAS, University of London
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)
Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no
Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)
Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22
Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdited%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Idries%20Trevathan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hirmer%20Publishers%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Results
Stage three:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s
General Classification:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s
4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.