World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought Highlights Escalating Crisis in the Middle East

The UN's designated day to combat desertification and drought, marked on June 17 every year, shines a light on the devastating effects of land degradation and water scarcity in the Middle East. Despite the region's rich history and natural resources, decades of unsustainable land and water use, combined with climate extremes, have accelerated desertification, threatening the very existence of communities, cultures, and ecosystems.

Key Takeaways:

• The Middle East, particularly Iraq, Jordan, and Iran, is facing a catastrophic crisis of land degradation and water scarcity, with record-breaking drought conditions, declining rainfall, and frequent sand and dust storms.
• Iraq's agricultural land is at risk of becoming desert, with the Tigris and Euphrates rivers seeing a 30-40% reduction in flow compared to 40 years ago, threatening the livelihoods of buffalo herders and farmers.
• Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, with nearly half of its treated water being lost due to aging infrastructure, and the country's agriculture is struggling to sustain crops.
• Iran is experiencing a severe environmental collapse, with rainfall down by 45% and key reservoirs nearly empty, with over 100 million hectares of land at high risk of turning into desert.
• Desertification and drought in the Middle East will have catastrophic consequences, including agricultural systems collapse, food insecurity, economic destabilization, displacement of millions, and increased competition over shared rivers and aquifers.
• Solutions include modernizing irrigation systems, restoring degraded land, recycling wastewater, collecting rainwater, fixing aging infrastructure, promoting drought-resilient crops, and regional cooperation.
• International support is crucial, with the UN estimating that reversing land degradation globally will require trillions of dollars in funding by the end of the decade.

Statistics:

• The Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq have seen a 30-40% reduction in flow compared to 40 years ago.
• Nearly half of Iraq's agricultural land is at risk of becoming desert.
• Jordan has an annual renewable water resource per person far below the threshold for survival.
• Rainfall in Jordan is minimal and increasingly unpredictable.
• Over 100 million hectares of land in Iran are at high risk of turning into desert.
• Dozens of cities in Iran rely on emergency water deliveries.
• More than half of Iran's total landmass is at risk of desertification.

Sources:

• UN Convention to Combat Desertification
• UN
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Iraqi government reports
• Jordanian government reports
• Iranian government reports