The Middle East Region: Facts on Climate and Water Resources
摘要
The Middle East Region is still one of the driest regions in the world and this is geographically connected with the North Arica as well. Thus, dry land and deserts comprise about 2.39 million km2 which is equivalent to 1/3 of the total area of the Middle East. This characterizes this region with arid climate that interrupted by some humid climate almost in the northern latitudes; especially those with mountains areas. Hence, potential evapotranspiration is mostly exceeding precipitation and with the increased temperature creates a dry zone under water stress which is also the most impacting in the world. This is normal notably that five out of the sixteen countries of the Middle East Region receive precipitation of less than 100 mm/year; and there are about 82% countries characterized precipitation rate less than 205 mm/year. For air temperature, it also shows high rate which ranges between 17.5 and 27.5 °C and the estimated increase rate is about 0.36 °C/decade, making it the warmest region in the world. This situation has been well reflected on water resources in the Middle East Region, and climate variability and oscillation has significant influence on the imbalanced water supply/demand which has been exacerbated by amplified drought spells; and therefore, the demand is exceeding availability by about 4 times and made the region as one of the sixteen of twenty-five most water-stressed countries in the world. However, the region occupies large-scale water bodies including river and reservoirs. While, water availability in the Middle East Region is acceptable and it is about 961 m3/capita/year, besides water demand of about 527 m3/capita/year. Future scenarios are pessimistic enough; especially with anticipated increases in temperature between 3.5 and 7 °C at the end of the century with widened dry seasons. This will be coupled with a decrease in precipitation rate of between 10 and 20% by 2040–2069. Thus, there is an anticipated reduction in water availability and 20–30% reduce in runoff and in the recharge of coastal aquifers in the Mediterranean coast between 30 and 70%. The current and anticipated situation of the hydroclimatic conditions in the Middle East Region is quite alarming and rapid adaptive measures should be taken before the region enters unpreceded hydroclimate notably with the dramatic population growth.