Drought characteristics and management in North Africa and the Near East

This report reviews drought management across North Africa and the Near East. It includes Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen, to the extent of data and information availability.

The studies which make up this report show that, even without drought, water is limiting both economic and social development in most countries in the region. Indeed, many country reports focus on coping with acute water scarcity rather than drought per se. In general, they report that rainfall and surface water resources are scarce, variable, and unreliable. Both renewable and fossil groundwater resources are being over-exploited at an increasing rate. Water pollution, resulting from urbanisation and poor land practices are reducing the availability of good quality water (FAO, 2008). Drought just adds to the burden that all these countries face.