Water Usage

Water Usage Diary and Interpretation

Ok so for those of you who didn’t know, the Middle East is running out of water. Turns out the stereotypical dessert region, doesn’t have a lot of water…go figure. The increase in population, agriculture and industrialization has led to an increase demand for water on the already limited resource.

I was excited to learn that my average water consumption might be lee then the American average.

 

And then immediately disappointed to learn I was way above the average of people living in North Africa.

 

My water foot print comes mainly from food. This is also part of the major problem in North Africa. The stereotypical desert region has been attempting to increase its food security by growing more and more food, in conjunction with its higher demands from its growing population.  

 

 

 

 

Now as a orientalists I have to say I want my Middle East dry, dry as a bone. So why bother growing food there? Yes I know food security, trade security, nationalism etc… but it’s easier to grow food elsewhere, most of the Middle East wasn’t made for that. The Middle East would save more water buying their food elsewhere. Yes it might have been the British demand for cotton that moved Egypt into a new form of cash crop agriculture but that’s the exception in North Africa. Algeria is mainly dessert and it doesn’t make sense to grow a lot of food there.

 

Ok besides stopping agriculture (or cash crop growth …looking at you Yemen), what else could the Middle East do to save its water resources.

Have Less People, there are two options to reduce the burden on a resource, Increase the supply or reduce the demand. If there were less people (it is a region where the population is not sustainable) then there would be less demand for the resource.

Now realistically the region needs to come together and work on solutions that would benefit the entire region. Cooperation over mutual resources, cutting back water usage, efficient growing techniques and plants (drop that Kat), and an increase in desalination plants.