 |
(Credit: Mohammed Yahia) |
The workshop of Leadership for Water and Energy Security in the Middle East and North Africa, held in Amman, Jordan, sent out a clear warning that water resources could soon lead to heightened conflicts in the region.
The workshop, organized by the United Nations University-International Leadership Institute (UNU-ILI) between July 1 and July 2, 2007, brings together over 30 specialists from 10 different countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Organizers aim to increase awareness of dangers posed by water and energy insecurity.
Water Insecurity
"If only we would look at water and energy as security issues instead of just looking at interstate and military as security issues," said Kirsten Neumann, program officer at the UNU-ILI and the main organizer of the workshop, to IslamOnline.net.
"We need to value water and energy as security issues, which they already are, but are not given the prominence that they deserve. Let's move it up in the priority of national tasks."
Many countries in the MENA region are already among the most water-scarce countries worldwide. This water scarcity is further stressed by over-exploitation of water resources.
In addition to the scarcity, many countries in the MENA region share their surface and underground water resources. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) states that Egypt, for example, gets over 75 percent of its water from rivers outside their national borders.
Water Conflicts
Between scarcity and sharing of water resources, the MENA region has suffered from water conflicts between neighboring countries for hundreds of years. From conflicts between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia over the waters of the Nile basin to conflicts between Jordan and Israel over the Dead Sea and Jordan River, more than 13 countries are involved in different water conflicts over shared water resources.
Even though the population growth rate in the area will decrease over time, the increase in population is still significant enough to increase the burden on the available water resources. The UNU predicts that the water demand in the MENA region will increase from the current 300 billion sq. m./y to 500 billion sq. m./y by 2050.
"We live in an exponential world," said Lena Salame, coordinator of UNESCO's program on water conflicts and cooperation.
"This is causing the water cycle to accelerate, which is leading to extreme events such as floods and draughts."
According to Neumann, one of the objectives of the workshop is to allow the participants to work together to come up with innovative ways of solving conflict problems.
"Neighbors with trans-boundary water resources have no option. They have to find a way to work together whether they like it or not," said Salame.
Awareness
|
| "There's a looming water crisis," said Salame. |
Another challenge highlighted during the workshop was raising awareness among the populations of the danger that water scarcity poses.
"There is a looming water crisis," said Salame.
"I think there needs to be a general shift of thinking from this 'yes, water will be there in abundance whenever I open the water tap'," stressed Neumann.
Even though there has been many awareness campaigns launched in the region, many people have been resistant to change. A main problem is the cost burden associated with adopting water-saving techniques. This includes the high price of changing the infrastructure to decrease water loss and also household changes that poorer families cannot afford.
Neumann thinks the challenge is raising awareness on several different levels. "We generally need a more sensitive approach to using water, a more conscious approach to using water."
"It's about awareness, but on a planning level, not just on a personal level."
Brainstorming
In working groups organized during the workshop, the participants were encouraged to brainstorm together and determine the main leadership problems that face the region for water and energy security and to come up with ways to solve them.
The results of the working groups, however, were not clear and concise enough to answer these challenging questions.
Neumann, however, insists that the workshop is just a first step to building leadership over the region. "When you're looking at leadership and training leaders and developing leaders, one workshop is not enough. But it is part of a bigger picture."
Neumann hopes for a domino effect. "People will come here and they will learn about certain issues and they exchange with each other. Then they go back and they pass their knowledge on. Then maybe they go to the next workshop and that's another piece in their development."
The UNU is a United Nation project initiated in 1972. The main office is in Tokyo, Japan. It has several institutes in different cities around the world. Each institute focuses on a different aspect of capacity building.
|
