Water in the Arabian Peninsula Problems and Policies

About this book

Water scarcity in this dry region limits development possibilities and reduces the scope for economic diversification. The rapid economic growth of recent decades has increased water requirements beyond naturally sustainable levels. Inappropriate policies and technological solutions have placed the emphasis on meeting demand, instead of harnessing resources and managing water use. Depletion of groundwater is now common to most parts of this region, and there is also a high reliance on costly non-conventional alternatives. The 17 papers contained in this book address different aspects of this acute problem, with emphasis on policy issues and on the need for structural change. The papers review policy experiences in several of the countries and analyse supply and resource constraints as well as water- using sectors. The social and economic ramifications of current water policies are considered and issues of policy reform are explored. Water resource planning and policy, environmental considerations, food security issues, state subsidies for agriculture and water, urban supply, regulatory institutions, demand management and development policy objectives are all themes that run through this multi-disciplinary book. The papers in this book indicate that without a coherent and integrated set of institutional and policy measures, further investment and new technologies may offer more problems than solutions.

Contents

Section I A Broad Regional Overview: Sustainable Water Policies In the Arab Region, Mahmood Ahmad; Planning Viable Water Strategies for the Arab Region, Hisham Khatib; The Political Economy of Middle East Water - Changing Perceptions of the Economic and Strategic Roles of Water, J. A. Allan, Alan Nicol. Section II Resource Management and Non-conventional Water Resources In the Arabian Peninsula: Integrated Approach to Water Resource Development and Management in the GCC Countries, M. J. Abdulrazzak; Towards Water Resources Management in Yemen - Constraints and Opportunities, Muhammad Aslam Chaudhry; Strategies for Watershed Management in Southern Arabia, Abdu A. Shata; Prospects for Non-conventional Water Resources in the Arabian Peninsula, Hosny Khordagui. Section III Irrigation Alternatives: Appropriate Alternatives for Irrigation Management in the Arab Region, Arab Organization for Agricultural Development; Water-use Performance and Comparative Costs among Surface and Traditional Irrigation Systems in Northern Oman, W. Ray Norman, Abdallah S. Al-Ghafri, Walid H. Shayya; Could Date Palms Ever Disappear from the Batinah? Salination of a Coastal Plain in the Sultanate of Oman, Peter Cookson, Andre Lepiece; Reallocation of Agricultural Water in Oman: A Potential Advantage in Higher-Value Crops, Abdallah Omezzine, Mohamed Chebaane, Lokman Zaibet. Section IV Urban Conservation and Recycling: Towards the Establishment of a Total Water Cycle Management and Reuse Programme in the GCC Countries, Waleed K. Al-Zubari; Conservation of Domestic Water Use for Jeddah City using Simulation Model, S. Awadalla, A. Allehaibi, M. J. Abdulrazzak. Section V Issues and Policies: Water Resources and Development in Saudi Arabia, Hamad M. H. Al-Sheikh; Water Legislation in the Republic of Yemen, Salahuddin Haddash; Agriculture, Water Scarcity and Gulf Development Strategies, Kamil A. Mahdi; Impact of the Pattern of Growth in Oil Economies on the Depletion of Water Resources - The Case of Qatar, Ali Khalifa Al-Kuwari.

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