{"id":36699,"date":"2019-03-22T03:23:06","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T03:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=36699"},"modified":"2019-03-22T03:23:06","modified_gmt":"2019-03-22T03:23:06","slug":"france-urges-iran-to-free-human-rights-lawyer-nasrin-sotoudeh-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=36699","title":{"rendered":"France urges Iran to free human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nDUBAI: World Water Day had somewhat of an abysmal feel to it across the Middle East this year, as the region witnesses a growing number of people with no access to supplies of the vital resource.<\/p>\n

\nAlthough the issue of supply has always been critical for the Arab region, known to be one of the most water-scarce in the world, matters are only getting worse with a rise in refugees and the displaced.<\/p>\n

\n\u201cThe freshwater scarcity situation is aggravated by several factors, such as dependency on shared water resources, climate change, pollution, non-revenue water losses from aging systems, intermittency, inefficient use, and high population growth,\u201d said Ziad Khayat, first economic affairs officer in water resources in the Sustainable Development Policies Division at the United Nations\u2019 Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). \u201cOccupation and conflict also affect people\u2019s ability to access water and sanitation services. The Arab region is perhaps the only one in the world still experiencing direct military occupation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nHe spoke of the Israeli occupation of Arab territories, which affects access to water resources and the ability of countries to properly manage and provide required water and sanitation services, with a ripple effect on food security, health and development. \u201cArmed conflict in the region has resulted in the destruction of the water and sanitation infrastructure, hampering the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation,\u201d he said. \u201cIn response to shortages, households resort to unregulated water vendors relying on compromised resources, such as unprotected wells. In addition, damaged wastewater systems have resulted in river waters and shallow wells becoming contaminated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nWater shortages and electricity outages have rendered many health care facilities non-functional, while vulnerability to the outbreak of waterborne diseases, particularly for people living in conflict-affected countries, has greatly increased. \u201cThe systemic conditions affecting the Arab region\u2019s water security are not expected to improve in the near future,\u201d he said. \u201cIn fact, climate variability and change are projected to impose additional pressures, with adverse impacts on the quantity and quality of freshwater resources in an already water-scarce region, affecting its ability to ensure food security, sustain rural livelihoods and preserve ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\nA higher frequency and intensity of floods, droughts and extreme weather is being experienced in many countries, which aggravates the situation of vulnerable communities and has led to economic losses and environmental degradation in several parts of the region. \u201cThe region has a high population growth rate and is one of the most urbanized in the world, with more than 58 percent of the population now living in cities,\u201d Khayat said. \u201cIt has witnessed significant and uneven urban transformations, with some countries undergoing rapid wealth generation, others confronting economic challenges, and several afflicted by conflicts that have led to major displacement and migration of large sections of the population.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nSuch trends are expected to place more stress on the urban infrastructure, particularly in water, given the scarcity conditions in the region. And with 86 percent of the region\u2019s population \u2014 or nearly 362 million people \u2014 living in countries under water scarcity or absolute water scarcity, action is needed. \u201cThe predictions are that water scarcity is only going to get worse unless we change the way we manage the resource,\u201d said Monika Weber-Fahr, executive secretary at the Global Water Partnership. \u201cI remain an optimist. We were able to meet some of the water-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and now, with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is a new and broader resolve to, not just improve water supply and sanitation, but take a more holistic approach to managing water, including its transboundary aspects.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\"\"\u201cLeaving no one behind\u201d is the theme of this year\u2019s World Water Day at the UN. The central challenge, Weber-Fahr believes, is that to achieve efficient, equitable, and sustainable water management, all parties must have genuine opportunities to actively participate in water management decisions. \u201cOnly then can decisions be taken that reflect how we all value water \u2014 reflecting its social, economic and environmental value,\u201d she said. \u201cWe need to create a safe space for people to come together to build common ground for water management decisions, working with everyone, everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nIn 2015, there were more than 51 million people in the Arab region lacking access to basic drinking water services, and more than 74 million without access to basic sanitation services. Access to water and sanitation\u00a0 is also lacking in rural areas compared with urban areas. \u201cThe record shows that in the past 10 to 12 years in the Arab region, the overall proportion of population with access to safe drinking water has improved from 85 percent to 90, almost reaching the global average of 91, but deteriorated in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen, where it dropped from 94 percent to 88 due to military occupation, civil conflicts and insufficient investments,\u201d said Dr. Waleed Zubari, professor in water resources management at the Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain. \u201cDisparity between urban and rural population in both services continues to be considerably large, especially in the lower-income countries. This is expected to continue with the civil conflicts in Syria and Yemen and in Iraq, and under the military occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of the Gaza Strip.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\nIf only excess water during rainy days can be stored for use during the dry months, water shortage wouldnot be much of a problem. (AN file photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\nClimate change and drought are also expected to worsen river flows, which is the main source of water for many Arab countries such as Egypt, Iraq and Syria. \u201cWhether we have achieved a universal access to water for all the population or not, there are some challenges that will stay with us in the Arab region,\u201d he said. \u201cScarcity of water resources and limited endowments facing increasing water demands due to increased population will continue to be a major challenge in the region. Another issue that needs immediate attention is the water supply and use efficiency, recycling and reusing water, considered very low in the region, and if worked on, will reduce water stress tremendously.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nPeace and stability will also help improve the situation, as well as rebuilding the water sector in countries shattered by civil war and occupation. Similarly, water management, efficiency and conservation in policies will need to progress.<\/p>\n

\nFor Dr. Ahmed Murad, dean of the college of science at United Arab Emirates University, said that providing clean water for the population is essential for all communities. \u201cHistorically, the absence of water could increase conflicts between nations,\u201d he said. \u201cLatest statistics show that about 844 million people in the world live without access to safe water, and one in nine lack the access to safe water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nHe spoke of more pronounced circumstances in the Middle East, with high temperatures and a low amount of rainfall. \u201cSuch conditions with population growth may reduce the availability of clean water due to a high demand on water resources,\u201d he said. \u201cThe limited and diverse water resources will pressurize natural resources, and this will continue to deteriorate if no action is taken.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DUBAI: World Water Day had somewhat of an abysmal feel to it across the Middle East this year, as the region witnesses a growing number of people with no access to supplies of the vital resource. Although the issue of supply has always been critical for the Arab region, known to be one of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-middle_east_news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36699\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}