ABSTRACT
Access to clean water and an efficient system of sanitation is one of the basic requirements for healthy living conditions. The requirement for sanitation in urban environments must likewise be fulfilled collectively. Access to clean water, therefore, is a product both of the availability of natural supplies of water, and of the deployment of economic resources and technology to ensure that the water is clean and distributed amongst the population. In most cases these needs can only be met by large-scale, state-funded programmes. The Middle East is a dry region and most countries have an average supply of less than 1,000 litres per person per year, which puts them in the lowest bracket worldwide. Water availability in the Middle East is not expected to improve in the coming half century, and several Middle Eastern countries are expected to face chronic shortages by 2050.
