Goals of the program

The goal of the Water Governance Programme for Arab States (WGP-AS) is to improve the effective use and management of scarce water resources in Arab countries. It aims at supporting the achievements of the MDG 7 particularly with respect to improved water supply and sanitation, by promoting an integrated approach to water resources management in the Arab Region. The WGP-AS acts as a catalyst for effective water governance in the region.

Selected Water Challenges in the Arab Region:

• The Arab region is by far the driest and most water scarce region in the world. Arab region has 5% of the world population and 1% of fresh water resources.
• More than 60% of the renewable water resources in the Arab region are transboundary and originate outside of the region.
• It is anticipated that the number of persons in the Arab States living under the water scarcity threshold of 1,000 m3 per person per year will double in the year 2025 as compared to 2005 figures.
• The Arab region has one of the highest annual population rate of 2.7%.
• Over pumping in addition to industrial, agricultural and domestic pollution contribute to the severe deterioration of the water quality in the Arab Region.
• Most Arab countries suffer from chronic inadequacy of technical capacity and resources.
• Impacts of CC on water resource in the Arab region will affect a wide range of socio-economic and environmental sectors including agriculture, health, public safety, biodiversity, desalination industry, tourism, and hydropower production.