Author: The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research
Publisher: Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research
ISBN: 9948146239
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 70
Get Book Here
Book Description
Growing populations and economies have led to an increase in water demand around the globe. However, there are large variations in the amounts of water available to nations and regions, and growing concern surrounding the uncertainty associated with these supplies, due in large part to natural and human impacts on the water cycle. The need for alternative sources of fresh water has also been aggravated by the large influx of guest workers and significant improvements in the quality of life among Gulf populations. Therefore supplies are augmented by alternative sources—mainly desalinization, which meets most of the needs of these countries. However, this comes at a great financial cost as it is an extremely energy intensive process and has associated security risks, but many still see desalination as the only viable means of ensuring water supply in the region. Global food security also faces an uncertain future. The Gulf states suffer from a substantial food gap, and all the countries of the region are net food importers. The increase in the region’s population, rising income levels, and harsh weather conditions that prevent the increase of local food production, have resulted in a vast increase in the region’s food imports. The ECSSR 17th Annual Conference, Water and Food Security in the Arabian Gulf, held at the Center on March 26–27, 2012 in Abu Dhabi, and the resultant papers contained in this volume, provide a detailed investigation of the food and water security challenges facing the region. They explore water and food resource management strategies and policies in the Gulf states, the global geopolitics of water security, future demand trends in the Arabian Gulf region, and the particular challenges faced by the UAE in ensuring a reliable supply of food and water in the coming decades.
Author: The Emirates center for strategic studies and research
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Get Book Here
Book Description
Author: Hussein A. Amery
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316381064
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 177
Get Book Here
Book Description
This book explores the national security implications of the Arab Gulf states' reliance on desalination plants, and their related infrastructure. It provides the first systematic and comprehensive discussion of current and future threats to the supply of freshwater from a desalination plant, including actual and virtual attacks by terrorists, mechanical failure, contamination, sabotage by aggrieved workers, and attacks relating to regional conflicts, as well as their vulnerability to natural disasters. It also provides a detailed analysis of the effects of a potential disruption to the water supply, and proposes possible measures, both political and technological, that can be used to increase resilience to these threats. Arab Water Security is a valuable reference for researchers and graduate students, as well as for policy makers and professionals, interested in water security, natural resources, and environmental terrorism.
Author: Hussein A. Amery
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107042291
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 177
Get Book Here
Book Description
Exploring the national security implications of the Gulf states' reliance on desalination plants, this book provides the first systematic and comprehensive discussion of current and future threats to the supply of freshwater, effects of a potential disruption, and possible measures to increase resilience to these threats, for researchers and graduate students.
Author: Kamel Amer
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319484087
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 239
Get Book Here
Book Description
This book investigates the need for a more open and interdisciplinary dialogue on the nexus of food, water and energy security in the Arab region. It argues that achieving sustainable economic development is irretrievably tied to the security of the water–energy–food nexus, which is in turn essential for bringing about sustained peace. Further, it discusses various approaches to achieving these lofty objectives, and offers the following take-away messages: The Arab region is currently under considerable water stress, and the situation will continue to get worse with a number of global changes – most notably those related to climate and regional water distribution. Viable solutions are available in the Arab region and can be implemented through innovative policies, judicious use of new technologies, and stimulating public opinion. Integration across water, energy, and food sectors is obviously needed but achieving it in practice is extremely challenging. There are some gaps in the scientific understanding but at the same time there is a wealth of data and synthesized information that can guide decision-making.
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
ISBN: 9251341915
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 216
Get Book Here
Book Description
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic union of Arab states, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Unites Arab Emirates. The GCC was formed in 1981 to strengthen the members’ economic, social and political ties by harmonizing regulations in various fields including economy, finance, trade and customs. The region extends over a territory of 2 673 108 km2 and is home to about 50 million people. The common denominators of the GCC countries are limited natural fertile land, scarce water resources and harsh climate. Depending on the country, the agriculture sector may use as much as 75 percent of the national available water resources. This has enormous environmental costs and significantly affects the sustainability of overall development in the Arabian Peninsula.According to Al-Rashed and Sherif (2000), the lack of renewable water resources is one of the critical constraints to sustainable development in the GCC countries. Rainfall in the Arabian Peninsula is scarce and infrequent. Over-exploitation of fossil groundwater resources, mostly to meet irrigation demands and create greenery lands, has already affected the productivity of aquifers, both quantitatively and qualitatively, despite the fact that much of the freshwater demand in the GCC countries is already covered using desalinated water. Reducing water consumption and increasing water efficiency are essential to enhancing agriculture and moving towards increased self-sufficiency with the production of high-quality, safe and diversified foods in the GCC countries. Exploiting the full potential of protected agriculture should save significant amounts of water, which can be used not only for agriculture but for other needs as well.
Author: The World Economic Forum Water Initiative
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1610910265
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Get Book Here
Book Description
The world is on the brink of the greatest crisis it has ever faced: a spiraling lack of fresh water. Groundwater is drying up, even as water demands for food production, for energy, and for manufacturing are surging. Water is already emerging as a headline geopolitical issue—and worsening water security will soon have dire consequences in many parts of the global economic system. Directed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the 2008 Davos Annual Meeting, the World Economic Forum assembled the world’s foremost group of public, private, non-governmental-organization and academic experts to examine the water crisis issue from all perspectives. The result of their work is this forecast—a stark, non-technical overview of where we will be by 2025 if we take a business-as-usual approach to (mis)managing our water resources. The findings are shocking. Perhaps equally stunning are the potential solutions and the recommendations that the group presents. All are included in this landmark publication. Water Security contains compelling commentary from leading decision-makers, past and present. The commentary is supported by analysis from leading academics of how the world economy will be affected if world leaders cannot agree on solutions. The book suggests how business and politics need to manage the energy-food-water-climate axis as leaders negotiate the details of the climate regime that replace Kyoto Protocols.
Author: Martin Keulertz
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317201248
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 237
Get Book Here
Book Description
This book discusses key issues concerning water, energy and food in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It provides an interdisciplinary account of current developments in the most water-scarce and conflict-torn region in the world. Key analysts on MENA water, agriculture and energy affairs have been drawn together to compile one of the first edited volumes dedicated to the crucial role of water, energy and food security in the 21st century MENA region. It will be of interest to decision-makers, analysts and students of the future of the Middle East from a broad range of disciplines including the physical and social sciences. This book was previously published as a special issue of the International Journal of Water Resources Development.
Author: Eckart Woertz
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191634336
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 346
Get Book Here
Book Description
In the wake of the global food crisis of 2008, Middle Eastern oil producers have announced multi-billion investments to secure food supplies from abroad. Often called land grabs, such investments are at the heart of the global food security challenge and put the Middle East in the spotlight of simultaneous global crises in the fields of food, finance, and energy. Water scarcity here is most pronounced, import dependence growing, and the links between oil and food are manifold ranging from the economics of biofuels to climate change and the provision of crucial input factors like fuels and fertilizers. In the future the Middle East will not only play a prominent role in global oil, but also in global food markets, this time on the consumption side. In Oil for Food, Eckart Woertz analyzes the geopolitical implications behind the current investment drive of Arab Gulf countries in food insecure countries like Sudan or Pakistan. Having lived in Dubai for seven years, and drawing on extensive archival sources and interviews, he gives the inside story of how regional food security concerns have developed historically, how domestic agro-lobbies shape policy making, and how the failed attempt to develop Sudan as an Arab bread-basket in the 1970s carries important lessons for today. The book argues against the media hype that has been created around land grabs and analyzes why there has been such a gap between announced projects and their actual implementation. Instead, it calls for a revision of Gulf food security policies and suggests policy alternatives. It is essential reading for academics interested in the political economy of the Gulf region and for practitioners in governments, the media, and international organizations who deal with contemporary food security and energy issues.
Author: Sohail Murad
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319489208
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 442
Get Book Here
Book Description
This book provides a survey of technologies available to tackle the problems associated with climate change in the energy, water and food security nexus with a special focus on the Middle East. It is divided into three main sections. The energy Section consists of six chapters, the water section of seven chapters and finally the food security section has six chapters. The individual chapters are authored by experts and provide discussions and in-depth views on the current status of each topic.
