One of the surprising and pleasant aspects of living in most of West Asia, the Gulf in particular is the easy and cheap availability of petrol in all its forms and grades. In some countries it is even cheaper than water. In Saudi Arabia one can get three litres of petrol for the price of one litre of potable water. It is little wonder that cities here have broad roads to accommodate fast and trendy cars of all hues, sizes and brands. It is no secret that the oil has changed the lives for good. The small countries of the region have fought many a battle in the past to own this precious natural reserve.
Today, as oil remains the main stay of the economy, the other contentious issue that threatens West Asia — apart from terrorism — is water. Israel, Syria and Jordan have disputes over sharing water from the rivers that flow through these countries. Unlike oil, which remains in the news as most of the world outside the region bemoans the rise in its prices, water related issues get highlighted only when passions start running high.
Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Israel, Egypt and Libya are affected by water problems. Poor water supply in the Gaza strip periodically makes Palestinians rise in protest as strongly as they do against Israeli occupation. Some call it “Intifada” (uprising) of a different kind.
When it comes to water consumption, India is no comparison to the Gulf states as these countries happen to be among the highest per capita users of water in the world. This contrast is strange considering that India receives huge rainfall when compared with West Asia. According to one study, the quantity of water imported indirectly into Gulf countries as food is equivalent to river Nile’s annual flow in Egypt.
In some countries, where it does rain, natural rainwater alone is not enough. For example, the Palestinian territory receives between 45 and 55 million cubic meters of rainwater per year but consumes about three times that amount.
Desalination of seawater is one way out to meet the water shortage. However, this is possible in certain countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE — where the required energy to run these desalination plants is easily generated, thanks to the availability of low-cost oil.
Some projections suggest that by 2025 domestic uses in West Asia (about 100 litre per person per day), plus municipal and industrial uses, will require all the freshwater available, leaving none for agriculture.
It is an irony that millions who lived for centuries in the region where some of the greatest rivers like Nile, Euphrates and Tigris flow should struggle to get their daily requirement of water. These rivers still have plenty of water, for which claims and counter-claims are made by riparian states.
But the question is for how long the have-nots will stay without water? The looming crisis can be overcome if a part of the huge surplus money generated through high oil prices is used to create new water resources and encourage developmental activities that lay emphasis on water management. Policy-makers should accept the fact that just like oil, water too is scarce and precious and if not today it might plunge the region in greater battles in future.
