Water Resources of the Middle East

This article presents an overview of the water resources available in the Middle East region (Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Turkey.) The countries of the Arabian peninsula as well as those of Northern Africa are not considered here. Water balances are presented for the countries studied and the water supply and consumption patterns in the main river basins of the area (Euphrates/Tigris, Jordan, Litani and Orontes) are described. The point is made that the combination of rapid population growth, together with limited water resources is creating a potentially very dangerous situation. Possible solutions include conservation measures, more efficient use of the limited water resources and future interbasin transfer schemes within the region.