Water Security in the MENA

Arafat offers an in-depth analysis of the water insecurity in the MENA region. This chapter draws attention to the definition of water security, water stress in the MENA region, the Water-Food-Energy (WFE) nexus, drivers of water stress in the MENA region, weaponization and securitization of water resources in the MENA region, and water securitization in the Nile and the Tigris-Euphrates River Basins. “Water Security in the MENA Region” concludes that a five-pillar strategy—investment in desalination and wastewater reclamation, investment in renewable energy, the elimination of water subsidies, capacity building, and regional coordination—could reduce MENA water insecurity. It also concludes that climate-related water scarcity is expected to generate considerable economic losses in the MENA region, accounting for 6–14% of GDP by 2050, with Iran’s water scarcity reducing GDP growth rates by 6%.