Rethinking water demand management : power, policy and practice from the MENA region
Abstract
Technical solutions will not suffice to reverse the growing depletion and declining quality of water resources in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. Governing the demand for good quality water through policies that encourage or enforce efficient and equitable water use ― either by changing the way water is used or by changing the task to use less water ― can bring bundles of benefits to all stakeholders. Over the past several years, interest in water demand management (WDM) has grown steadily, but insufficiently, in the region. As understanding and integration of demand management approaches maturity, it is crucial that the research community critically assess the complexities it poses. In some cases, desirable outcomes for multiple stakeholders are possible that improve livelihoods and the environment. In other cases, implicit trade-offs must be assessed and articulated for policy-makers to craft effective interventions. This book presents new and critical thinking that can help improve the formation and execution of WDM measures in the MENA region. It highlights the progress made, limitations faced, and important issues ―such as gender, poverty, equity, and power relations― that have received relatively little attention in the literature to date. Based on this analysis, the book concludes with insights into how to overcome the key identified barriers that slow the implementation and enforcement of WDM in the region.
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Keywords
WATER QUALITY, MIDDLE EAST, DEMAND MANAGEMENT, WATER MANAGEMENT, WATER SUPPLY, PRICING, GENDER ROLES, POVERTY, RESOURCES DEPLETION, POLITICAL ASPECTS, GOVERNANCE, WASTEWATER, HYDROLOGY, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY