If water scarcity is defined by criteria such as, the number of people in relation to water resources, insufficient rainfall quantities, and proportion of water already in use, then the Middle East and North Africa will face absolute water scarcity by the turn of the century. Water strategies in the Arab region depend on a number of factors - international, regional and internal. Internationally, Arab states would do well to coordinate their lobbying efforts and present a unified Arab front to invoke support from the major powers. Arab must highlight Israeli expansionist ambitions and Israeli designs to exploit Arab water in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as in the water rich parts of southern Lebanon. International donor agencies should also be targeted as key allied of Arab states, in this respect.
Desertification compounds the problem of water scarcity.
In the past few years, the extent of desertification has expanded dramatically, primarily as a result of rapid population growth which has led to an increased demand for both land and water resources. Exacerbating the problem, water management policies are often not thoroughly though out and carelessly executed. In addition, few financial resources are allocated to the development and exploitation of water resources, and fewer still to water conservation. The rapid population growth and the lack of proper technology to exploit existing water resources have limited the per capita share of water in the Arab world to 1,750 cubic meters compared with a world average of 13,900 cubic meters. Israeli ambitions in the Middle Eastern region add to the complexity of the water issue in the region and general shortages.