"Water! ... You can't say that you are necessary for life - you are life itself... You are the greatest wealth on Earth, but also the most whimsical, you are the purest in the belly of the Earth " A. De Saint-Exupery The water resources of the Middle East, where about one-twentieth of all the inhabitants of the Earth live, today hardly ensure the normal life of the population of the countries of this region. According to rough estimates, fresh water reserves here are less than a hundredth of the world's total. Of course, the water problem in the Middle East is part of this problem on a global scale. According to the World Health Organization, more than 2 billion people have died. people in the world suffer from a shortage of drinking water. There are a number of reasons for this. Among other things, the demographic factor is of great importance: during the 20th century, the world's population tripled, while the consumption of fresh water as a whole increased 13-fold, reaching the level of 3.5 trillion cubic meters. m per year. The high rate of population growth in Middle Eastern countries and the growing needs of developing industries are contributing to a rapid reduction in the share of water consumed per capita. In the region as a whole, water supply dropped from 3.3 thousand liters per year in the 1960s to 1.1 thousand liters in the first years of the XXI century. This was the lowest rate in the world, accounting for only 33% of the Central Asian level and even 15% of the Central African level. Experts note a further decline in water reserves in the Middle East region and give very disappointing forecasts for their replenishment - in the first half of this century, fresh water reserves in the region may be reduced by half. In some countries of the Middle East, the annual level of water consumption is up to 250 cubic meters per capita at a rate of 1,700 cubic meters. m (including water for industrial and agricultural needs). At the same time, per inhabitant (for e ... Read more