The Middle East is running dry – and into the perfect storm?

Maplecroft Water Stress Index 2011

Water, it’s the very stuff of life, and a high-resolution analysis of the most water-stressed places on Earth reveals anew a stark reality. The Middle East and north Africa (Mena), currently in the middle of a historic wave of unrest, is by far the worst affected region.

Of the 16 nations suffering extreme water stress, according to risk analystsMaplecroft, every single one is in the Mena region. Bahrain tops the list of those using far more water than they sustainably receive. Other crisis-hit countries, including Libya, Yemen, Egypt and Tunisia, are not far behind. Syria tops the next category: high stress. (The full top 20 is in a table below, with a bit on the methodology).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/may/19/water-climate-change

This entry was posted in Ecosystems, Freshwater, Global Issues, Sustainability, Water and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

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