Beyond Oil: Water Scarcity Threatens Middle East and North Africa

The Middle East and North Africa are often associated with oil production, but this region is far more complex than just one resource. The Gulf Cooperation Council states have massive petroleum reserves, which finance government salaries, infrastructure, and social benefits. However, these countries are also vulnerable to price swings in the global market.

Israel offers a different model, having turned from an oil importer to a regional supplier due to offshore discoveries such as Tamar and Leviathan. But water may be the resource that most tightly controls the region's future. The Middle East and North Africa has about 6% of the global population but less than 2% of its renewable water supply.

Water scarcity is a pressing issue, particularly in countries like Jordan, which has only about 60 cubic meters of renewable water per person annually. Agriculture consumes most available water in several countries, even as cropland contracts and populations grow.