Water Scarcity Best Practices and Innovation Pathways

Abstract

North Africa is limited in the north by the Mediterranean Sea, in the east by the Red Sea, in the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the south by the Sahara Desert. North Africa includes five countries: Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya. North Africa has a Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Many areas in North Africa have faced water scarcity or water crisis, as well as the result of population pressures, rising urbanization, climate change, and also increasing pollution of water. All these factors have led to a rise in water demand and thereby to water shortage. In North Africa, rising temperatures and long droughts periods linked with climate change are expected to decrease the land areas suitable for agriculture and reduce crop yields. These are reflected in the increased consumption of freshwater. It is critical to understand a balance between water demand and water supply through an understanding of the impacts of climate change on freshwater and its direct consequences on water security.