Making the most of scarcity : accountability for better water management results in the Middle East and North Africa / The World Bank. [Prep. by a team led by Julia Bucknall]

Abstract

Water in the Middle East and North Africa region already causes major social and economic problems, resulting from insufficient supply, unreliable services and environmental damage. Per capita availability will fall by half by 2050, water quality is deteriorating, many aquifers are on the verge of exhaustion, and climate change may alter rainfall patterns. Unless current practices change, then, the situation will worsen considerably. For years, water professionals have been advocating comprehensive water reforms. Yet, although most countries have made considerable progress improving water poli