Two Water Provision Methods for the Middle East - Lab Report Example

Middle East Water Provision al Affiliation Introduction Middle East is a term used to refer a region that includes regionsof Western Asia. In Middle East, the ethnic group that is known to be the greatest is the Arab group. This group of Arabs encompasses sub-tribes which are Jews, Maronites, Turks, Persians, Azeris, Kurds among others. This is a region in the world where normal activities meant to support human life are carried out as in all other parts. In this case, this recommendation report will major on the issue of water provision in the Middle East. It will base on comparing two water provision methods in the region. Water is one of the essentials of life as it is needed for many activities to take place. Some of the uses of water in life are: i. Used for domestic purposes at home. ii. Used in agriculture for supporting life in plants. iii. In industries it is used as a coolant and running processes that require water. iv. Generation of power. v. Means of transport All these uses show clearly that water is used in large quantities as it is needed to run many activities. Human plants and animals are mainly made up of water therefore, this also gives a clear impression that all living things cannot do without water. This is yet another reason showing why water is important to life. General water supply methods in Middle East In Middle East, water has been a problem for a long time because the resources are few and at times there is shortage from the few resources available due to climatic changes. There are various ways in which water provision is made possible to several areas. These main water resources in this case are: Groundwater Surface water The dead sea These are three main resources of water to the Middle East. In this recommendation report, the discussion will be specifically about the surface and ground water as provision resources of water in that region. a) Groundwater Groundwater refers to water that is located beneath the surface of the earth. In Middle East, groundwater from springs and wells is the most vital source as it provides more than half of what is consumed in total. Groundwater in this case, is contained in aquifers. These are openings present in rocks that bear water. The characteristics of these aquifers depend on texture, mineral composition and structure of the respective parent rocks. This therefore, gives a clear impression that even though this water is considered as underground water generally, there is a difference depending on the parent rock. This type of water always moves at a slow pace and it takes the most permeable pathway from where it goes into the aquifer to where it leaves it. Clean fresh water in Middle East can easily be found in wells and springs. The vital feature of aquifers varies from one area to another within the Middle East due to changes in quality of the groundwater, demand of freshwater and hydrogeologic features. These are some factors that bring about changes in the provision of underground water. With less water from other resources, it makes it difficult for the residents of that area to have adequate water for daily activities. This is one reason as to why there exists the problem of water shortage in the region. Aquifers that are known to be most productive in Middle East are found in the following regions: 1. Coastal Plain- In this region they are in form of sand and quaternary gravel. 2. Mountain Belt- In form of cretaceous limestone. 3. Escarpments in the east and west of Jordan Highland and Rift Valley. 4. South Jordan desert- in form of sandstone. Anderson gives an explanation of the geographical nature of Middle East and how ground water can be sourced from the beneath the surface of the earth to specific areas where it is needed for use.(Anderson, 2000,78). In many years to come, water will be needed in high quantity due to increased use of technology and this has been predicted by the World Bank. It has therefore put aside some funds to make certain that water reservoirs will be in place to avoid shortage (World Bank, 2007, 184). All these water resources in the Middle East have been developed to better structures so that they can be easily accessible. This is because water is needed every moment as it is used for many purposes in everyday activities. This explains why the resources have been made accessible for the residents (Cech, 2009, 21). Climatic changes bring about changes in how ground water is formed. This is another reason explaining why at times there is shortage of groundwater in the Middle East (Gragoni, 2008, 137). With the use of groundwater as a resource in the Middle East there are advantages and disadvantages related to this. Advantages Large capacity site is available Requires little land area There is little or no evaporation sometimes. There is limited danger of catastrophic crash Temperature of the water is uniform It is highly pure biologically Disadvantages Inhibition of movement from aquicludes. These are units that contain silt and clay and do not transmit water easily. Difficult to handle in terms of evaluation. The water from this resource must be pumped Water may contain minerals not fit for consumption. There is limited flows at any point Water from this resource is only used for supply. b) Surface Water Surface water refers to water that is collected on the ground. Oceans, rivers, lakes and streams are examples of surface water bodies. In Middle East, The Mediterranean and the Red sea are the main sources of surface water. In this region, surface water is generally limited due to low rainfall and high evaporation. Zereini explains that as surface water is easily contaminated due to exposure, action is always taken to make certain that it is treated before use especially for consumption purposes. This is meant to avoid instances of infection and illnesses that are caused by contaminated water (Zereini, 2004, 63). He also takes initiative to provide information on how climatic changes affect water availability from resources. This is to ensure that people acquire knowledge so that they can always prepare to handle shortage issues (Zereini, 2008, 318). There are some challenges faced when it comes to situations where climatic changes affect all resources in the region. This is where shortage occurs greatly because water may not be safe for using or it is hard to access (Kliot, 1994, 183). In cases where water might be fetched, drinking water is always treated to avoid infection (Gray, 2008, 108). Similar to the groundwater, there are advantages and disadvantages of this type. Advantages Used for multiple purposes for example for food, recreation and power Flows available are large. Easy to evaluate and manage The water is generally good chemically. Disadvantages New sites available are few High rate of evaporation leading to evaporation Most sites that can be used for dam locations may be already used. Requires large section of land Danger of failure is high Can be easily contaminated Conclusion and Recommendation In conclusion, water shortage is a problem that is faced by residents of Middle East. This is mainly caused by climatic changes and few water resources availability. It is therefore best for the administration in the region to encourage the use of ground water. This is majorly because this is the type that is not easily contaminated. Water is essential in life meaning contamination should be avoided at all costs. That is why it is best to use ground water rather than surface water. The other reason as to why ground water should be used is because it is available in large quantities compared to surface water. This is due to high evaporation of surface water as the region experiences high levels of sunshine making surface water unavailable in sufficient amounts. Bibliography Anderson, E.W., 2000. The Middle East: Geography and Geopolitics. London: Routledge. Cech, T,V., 2009. Principles of Water Resources: History, Development, Management and Policy. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Gragoni, W., Sukhija, B. S., 2008. Climate change and ground water. London: Geological Society. Gray, N.F., 2008. Drinking water quality. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Kliot, N., 1994. Water resources and conflict in the Middle East. London: Routledge. World Bank ., 2007. World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development. United Kingdom.World Bank Publications. Zereini, F., Jaeschke., 2004. Water in the Middle East and in North Africa; Resources, Protection and Management. New York: Springer. Zereini, F., Heotzl, H., 2008. Climatic changes and water resources in the Middle East and North Africa. New York: Springer. Read More