Impacts of Water Scarcity on the Social Welfare of Citizens in the Middle East
Over the past century, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has undergone huge changes. According to 2007 estimates, its population has risen from less than 50 million a century ago to over 331 million, and is expected to reach some 385 million people by 2015. During this same period, the environment has deteriorated and natural resources have dwindled due to development patterns which were largely unsustainable. In most cases, policies were overwhelmingly sets of provisional short-term measures, meant to tackle momentary challenges rather than engage in long-term planning.
