Better use of scarce water key to Middle East’s future: World Bank.
WASHINGTON DC: Political stability and economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa could hinge on better management of scarce water resources, the World Bank said in a report released Tuesday.
With poor access to water and poor sanitation, the region is suffering annual economic losses of as much as $21 billion, according to the report, published to coincide with the global ‘Water Week’ events which opened Monday in Stockholm focusing on innovative solutions for these issues.
Water crisis may soon hit major Pakistan cities The estimate reflects costs from health care and lost productivity due to illness and premature death from water-borne disease, Anders Jagerskog, a World Bank specialist in water-related matters, told AFP.
Hafez Ghanem, World Bank vice president for the Middle East and North Africa, said the region was living beyond its means in terms of water.
“If we think of water resources as a bank account, then the region is now seriously overdrawn,” he said in a statement, adding that consuming water faster than it could be replenished undermined the region’s long-term wealth and resilience.
Water scarcity also can spark conflicts, the report’s authors warned.
Water resources, tax policy should be among top priorities “The often-cited example is Syria, where decades of poor water planning made people and agriculture vulnerable to drought,” she said.
This in turn led to “failed agricultural harvests (that) contributed to unemployment and unrest.” The solution requires improving water management methods, they said.
More than 60 percent of the region’s population live in areas under high or very high water stress compared to just 35 percent worldwide.

Senegalese ‘miracle grain’ could see Sahel prosper: TED.
Pierre Thiam, one of Africa’s best-known chefs, told the TEDGlobal conference in Tanzania on Monday night of his dream to see "fonio" turn around the fortunes of the arid Sahel region which stretches just south of the Sahara The grain is a nutty-tasting cross between couscous and quinoa which has been cultivated on the continent for some 5,000 years.
He discovered it was once so popular it was found in Egyptian tombs, accompanying people to the afterlife, and that Mali’s ethnic Dogon people believe the entire universe sprung from a grain of fonio.
Now however, it is only produced in the western part of the Sahel in places like Kedougou, one of the poorest regions of Senegal.
"Desertification and lack of job prospects means much of the youth have left, they choose the deadly path of migration in search of better opportunities," said Thiam "This is the reality of Kedougou and much of the Sahel today.
It thrives where nothing else will grow."
– Tiny grain, big answers – And he rapped the "colonial mentality" that had made the Senegalese believe their own products were inferior — enjoying rice imported from China and baguettes and croissants from France while believing their home-grown grain was for "country people".
"Africa has a chance to lead the world by creating a new path to modernity.
The biggest challenges facing the world over the next 20 years are already playing out in Africa," said conference curator Emeka Okafor.
These range from food security to creating millions of jobs in an increasingly automated world, redesigning cities, water scarcity and the fight against climate change.

YAOUNDE, Aug 29 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The Middle East and North Africa region loses about $21 billion each year because of an inadequate supply of water and sanitation, the World Bank said on Tuesday, warning urgent action is needed to prevent ripple effects on stability and growth.
Deaths due to unsafe water and sanitation in some parts of the region, particularly countries affected by conflict, are higher than the global average, it added.
"Water productivity – in other words, how much return you get for every drop of water used – in the Middle East in general is the lowest on average in the world," said Anders Jägerskog, a specialist in water resources management at the World Bank and one of the report’s authors.
Water governance – in particular, water tariffs and subsidies – must also be addressed, he said.
Such policies lead to excessive use of already scarce water supplies and are not sustainable, said Jägerskog.
Another challenge is that more than half of the wastewater collected in the region is fed back into the environment untreated.
"Along with better water management, there is room for increasing the supply through non-conventional methods such as desalination and recycling," Guangzhe Chen, senior director of the World Bank´s global water practice, said in a statement.
Improved water management could bring considerable financial returns, the report noted.
Egypt, Syria and Iran – which have the largest proportion of irrigated land in the region – are the countries that could benefit most, it added.
(Reporting by Inna Lazareva; editing by Megan Rowling.

Pakistan has become a ‘water-stressed’ country: WAPDA chairman.
Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman Lt-Gen (r) Muzammil Hussain said on Tuesday that Pakistan may face water scarcity if remedial measures are not taken in time.
He passed these remarks during his visit to Nai Gaj and Darawat Dams in Dadu and Jamshoro.
The chairman said that the due to the rapid growth in population and decrease in capacity of existing water reservoirs, Pakistan has become a water-stressed country.
“To tackle the worsening situation, every decade, construction work should be done on one mega dam, while small and medium-sized dams should also be constructed,” he maintained.
While briefing, Muzzamil said that WAPDA was committed to optimal development of water resources in Pakistan in view of rapid surge in water requirements in the country.
“Under a joint strategy, WAPDA is striving hard not only to initiate construction work on mega water sector projects – namely Diamer Basha and Mohmand dams – in the shortest possible time, but also to expedite the pace of work on medium-sized projects – including Nai Gaj Dam,” he added.
The WAPDA chairman was briefed that the construction work was lagging behind the schedule owing to a number of reasons; insufficient allocation and release of funds being the major factor.
The chairman expressed satisfaction that Darawat Dam was complete and was ready to be handed over to the Sindh government for its operation.
He was also briefed that the spell of rains last year and that of this year had a good impact on filling of the dam.

Water level has fallen below 150 feet in Srirangam island which has Kollidam flowing on its north and Cauvery to its south.
Rain water harvesting system was pivotal to maintaining ground water table, he said.
A simple RWH mechanism will have a 3-5 feet-deep pit with a few layers of rock and sand of different sizes to collect water from the roof top.
This would ensure that water doesn’t flow on the streets or in the drain and evaporates.
The project was taken up seriously in the initial months but abandoned over the years with no interest on the part of the government and lack of a mechanism to monitor the system.
Sources from the civic body estimate that over 90 per cent of the 2 lakh odd houses in the city does not have proper rain water harvesting (RWH) system at home.
The RWH system could have played a vital role in a city like Trichy which did not have many tanks to ensure ground water recharge.
This was particularly so because the rate of ground water withdrawal was more than that of recharge causing an imbalance in the groundwater reserves in Trichy region.
"In many houses, only recharge pits were dug and connected through pipeline from the roof.
However, there was no mechanism to monitor the system and ensure that it had not gone defunct.

Ngilu directs Sh6mn meant for inauguration to meet water needs.
Meeting the Kitui County Commissioner Boaz Cherotich in her office for the first time since her election, Ngilu said it makes no sense to use that amount of money on a one-day event while thousands of people are suffering due to water scarcity.
“All we need on that day is a Bible and venue and it certainly does not cost Sh6 million.
Let us be sensitive to the poor in all our actions,” she said.
The forum also discussed modalities of helping farmers ahead of the coming rain season in an effort to rid the county of food deficits that trigger periodic famine and the need for relief supplies from the National Government.
She directed that the money be channelled to among other uses, making the trucks operational to begin the work of supplying water to residents.
During the briefing also attended by the County Chief Officer for the Water Jacob Mwandikwa, Ngilu sought a report on the state of boreholes in the county that required quick fixes.
She said: “The voices I have heard from the people are those of despair and I believe that we can begin to change this right away.
It must not wait any further,” a remark that is indicative of her quest to hit the ground running to fulfil her campaign promises.
She is to be sworn in on Tuesday August 22, 2017 at Muslim Secondary School Grounds to succeed outgoing Governor Julius Malombe.

This article is a summary of the chapter by Ali Hasnain Sayed and Muhammad Faizan Usman of World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan and Chelsea Spangler of World Wildlife Fund-US, in the new book, Water, Security and U.S. Foreign Policy.
The river already supports around 215 million people, and populations in the region are growing.
Climate change poses additional risks as temperatures rise, rainfall patterns become increasingly variable, and floods and droughts become more severe.
Decreasing agricultural productivity jeopardizes rural livelihoods and food security; growth of manufacturing and mining sectors is stifled; access to drinking water and sanitation for rapidly urbanizing populations is limited; and waterborne diseases threaten public health.
All economic sectors rely on access to freshwater, but demand is increasing as supply decreases.
Particularly in Pakistan’s larger cities, the industrial and service sectors are growing and there is increasing competition between domestic consumers and businesses, which both rely on the same groundwater resources.
These range from threats to supply chains, to the rise of insurgent groups that pose direct threats to U.S. security.
Public sentiment in Pakistan maintains that unchecked abstraction in India is in violation of the treaty, and in 2016 hostile actions on both sides of the border led to threats of military action and of restricting flow of the river.
Suggested interventions include the following: Provide important technical support to help monitor and manage existing groundwater resources.
Chelsea Spangler is a water and security program associate with the World Wildlife Fund-US.

Many families have not had anything to eat in days Polluted water and poor sanitation raise fear of disease outbreaks Most of the flood displaced families from Tikaulipur settlement of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality in Banke have been left with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Aid had not arrived as of Monday while the government in the centre was planning how the emergency relief must be disbursed.
The family of Dhani Khatri of Tikulipur has been living under a makeshift shelter in a forest after their home got destroyed in a flood.
“The government officials have not arrived so far.
Chief District Officer Ramesh KC said they have started relief and rescue works in the flood-affected areas.
“We sent some relief materials to the places that have been hit hard by floods,” he said, assuring to distribute food and emergency supplies in other areas soon.
Besides food and shelter, the flood displaced people are also facing problem of drinking water and sanitation.
Jagatram Tharu, a local man, told the Post over phone on Monday that nearly 500 families from Taduwa, Sauryagaudi, Tepari and Masjadiya settlements were facing difficulty as floods have polluted all drinking water sources.
Dilliram Acharya, an administrative officer at the District Administration Office, said they were preparing to supply dry foods, water and other emergency supplies to the flood-hit areas.
Thousands of families have been displaced by floods in the district and many of them had not eaten anything for the last two days.

Rabat – The rate of access to drinking water in rural areas is expected to reach 96.5 percent by the end of 2017, with the state investing more than MAD 1 million in water supply projects, announced Secretary of State in charge of Water, Charafat Afilal, during the July 25 parliamentary session.
The government is in a critical position with regards to water policy.
This leaves various communities and economic activities vulnerable to water scarcity, according to World Resources Institute, which has led to the current regional demonstrations on water scarcity.
Responding to the critical condition of water levels in Morocco, Afilal said that the state has taken all the necessary measures to ameliorate water supply distribution, through the projects like the construction of dams and regional drainage canals.
Afilal stated that these measures also include maximum usage of water resources including surface water, the deepening of wells to increase water flows, and the organization of awareness campaigns to save water, with a view towards ending water deficiency before summer 2019.
As some municipalities not covered by the ONEE are experiencing difficulties during the summer period, provisional measures have been taken in around 30 areas to improve the water supply condition.
At the end of 2017, an additional flow of approximately 19.3 m3 / sec As well as the installation of 1,530 km of drainage channels and 1,085 km of distribution channels, will be impelented said the state secretary.
These policies, according to Afilal, will make it possible to increase the rate of connection to the sewage networks in urban areas.
MAD 2.8 million was invested in water supply during 2014-2017, consisting of the production and distribution of drinking water and the improvement of the drainage and distribution network.
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Tourists flocking to enjoy the scenic beauty of this fabled lake are instead treated to the sight of small dead fish ringing the edges of the dried lake.
Hanna Lake was built by the British in 1894 with the objective of maintaining the water table, to recharge the Karezes (an ancient irrigation system), surrounding springs and to provide water for agricultural purposes.
There was a time when tourists could take boats into the lake and enjoy the idyllic atmosphere.
“We are frustrated…the government must do something to bring back the beauty of Hanna Lake.” The lake had provided nesting grounds for migratory birds from Siberia till the 1980s.
But unchecked hunting and water scarcity drove them off with the passage of time.
It is ironic that Hanna Lake, built by the British, would one day dry up for want of attention from local governments.
It can help maintain the depleting water table of the area if it is full of water, recharge the dried springs and karezes and provide water for farming, Mr Rasheed says.
The water table in Quetta and parts of northern and central Balochistan is getting depleted at a rate that is alarming.
“Maximum plantation can mitigate the dangers of drought,” Mr Kakar points out.
“By 2030, people will not be migrating from Quetta due to terrorism but will be driven by scarcity of water,” says Mr Kakar, who heads the Quetta section of the Forest Department.