Environmental

Issues

Pollution &

Unequal Distribution of Water

Southwest Asia’s

Pollution

• Many countries in Southwest Asia are experiencing the increasing problem of water pollution.

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• Farmers have begun using chemical fertilizers that run off from the fields and contaminate water supplies.
• Chemicals also lead to salt build-up in the soil, which eventually makes farming in those areas impossible.

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• Rapid growth of industry in cities and towns has caused garbage and sewage to build up in rivers and streams.

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Tigris River Pollution

Enough Water?

• Water availability is a major concern in Southwest Asia.
• Less than 1% of the world’s fresh water is available to the area’s inhabitants (6% of the world’s population).

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• There is simply not enough water available to meet the population’s needs.
• Middle Eastern countries are constantly in conflict over these water problems.

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• Let’s take a look at how water is distributed in several of these countries.

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Water availability in Iraq will halve by 2050

Turkey

• Turkey has a “water advantage” over other Middle Eastern countries because the Tigris and Euphrates rivers form in the country’s highlands.

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• Turkey has developed the Southeastern Anatolia Project, which consists of 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric plants along the Euphrates River.
• This project has greatly improved the standard of living for Turkey’s citizens.

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• Unfortunately, the country has had to deal with the increasing problem of water pollution.
• In addition to chemical fertilizers and industrial wastes, the rivers have also been affected by oil spills in the Black Sea.

Bordering Focus Nations

Syria, Iraq, Iran

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Water Issues

• water pollution
• chemical fertilizers
• industrial waste
• oil spills

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Turkey

Ataturk Dam -- Turkey

Syria

• The dams that Turkey built along the Euphrates have greatly reduced the amount of water reaching Syria (40% less).

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• Syria already suffers from food shortages, and irrigating new land is extremely difficult with the diminished water supply from the Euphrates.

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• In order to keep some water in the country, Syria has also built dams along the river.
• This has reduced the river’s flow into Iraq, thus causing more conflict.

Lake Assad –

Syria’s largest reservoir was created in 1974

Bordering Focus Nations

Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Iraq

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Water Issues

• reduction due to Turkey’s dams
• food shortages due to irrigation issues

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Syria

Iraq

• The dams that Turkey & Syria built along the Euphrates have also greatly reduced the amount of water reaching Iraq (80% less).
• This has negatively impacted the country’s food supply.
• Wheat & rice production has decreased dramatically, and many farmers are now without jobs.

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• Iraq also faces water pollution problems as a result of industry and petroleum drilling equipment.
• Also, three decades of warfare have caused damage to Iraq’s water treatment plants.

Bordering Focus Nations

Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Jordan

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Water Issues

• food supply impacted due to water reduction
• pollution
• industries
• petroleum drilling
• warfare damaged infrastructure

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Iraq

Israel

• Since its creation in 1948, Israel has developed new technology and advanced farming techniques that have turned the once-barren desert land into farmland.

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• Because rainfall is down, Israel has to rely on drawing water from its aquifers (underground layer of rock and sand that contains water).
• Unfortunately, the aquifers are in jeopardy because more water is taken out than is replenished by rain.

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• Israel has been involved in many conflicts over water rights to the Jordan River with Syria, Jordan, and Palestine.

National Water Carrier of Israel – pipeline that transfers water from the Sea of Galilee to the highly populated center and arid south

Bordering Focus Nations

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria

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Water Issues

• lack of rainfall
• higher demand of aquifers than supply
• conflict with Syria, Jordan, and Palestine

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Israel

Jordan

• Jordan is one of the ten most water scarce countries in the world.
• The country’s major surface water sources are shared with Israel and Syria, who leave only a small amount for Jordan.

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• Israel has built pipelines that redirect the river’s water away from Jordan and into its own lands.
• Jordan & Israel have been involved in military battles over water rights.

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• Jordan cannot meet the basic needs of its people and has to ration the water supply.
• Citizens can only get water two days a week.

Mujib Dam, Jordan –

desalinates brackish water from the Dead Sea

Bordering Focus Nations

Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq

Water Issues

• shares water sources with Israel and Syria
• military battles over water rights
• rationing

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Jordan

Saudi Arabia

• Saudi Arabia has a desert climate and has struggled to meet the water needs of its growing population.

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• Water is scarce in the country, and what little water that is available is of poor quality because of salt water intrusion.

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• The country has built a number of desalination plants that provide most of the country’s drinking water.
• Desalination is the process of taking salt out of seawater and using it for drinking water.

World’s Largest Desalination Plant – Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia

Bordering Focus Nations

Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq

Water Issues

• desert climate
• scarcity - what water is available is of poor quality

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Saudi Arabia

Turkey - many dams and hydroelectric plants along Euphrates River

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Syria - built dams causing conflict with Iraq

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desalination- process of removing salt from water

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add to back of paper