The quest for water efficiency - Restructuring of water use in the Middle East

Despite widespread aridity in the Middle East, human societies have had acc ess to adequate water resources until the second half of the twentieth cent ury. With the rapid growth of population from around 150 million in 1950 to almost 400 million in 2000 great pressure has been exerted on existing wat er resources so that in certain countries these are now totally committed. Examination of water use indicates that each cubic metre of water utilised in the industrial and service sectors generates at least 200 times more wea lth than in the agricultural sector. This suggests that as water shortages increase many countries will be best served by the reallocation of irrigati on water to meet the growing water needs of the urban regions.