Right to Water: The Millennium Development Goals and Water in the MENA Region

Abstract

It is difficult to imagine a more basic human need than water. Still, around one billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Among these, 15 million are in North Africa and 23 million in West Asia. Whether these people should have the right to water seems to be a cumbersome discussion that has lasted decades. This paper analyses the current situation in water services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), by reviewing the status of achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Although one Target (10) implicitly mentions water supply services, it is crucial to appreciate that water is related to almost all other Targets too. On average, the region is making relatively good progress in meeting Target 10. But the discrepancies between countries and between rural and urban areas are vast. Many countries have huge coverage shortcomings and show very little, if any, progress. The other Millennium Development Goals and Targets complicate the picture as they bring further, often massive strains to the water sector. The future outlook is somewhat cloudy since the MENA region has witnessed an economic and social development in the past decades which is far below the world's average, and this tendency may not change much in the near future. Therefore, the right to water seems to remain a distant dream to several tens of millions of people in the MENA countries in coming years.

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the excellent support of the Helsinki University of Technology, Water Resources Laboratory and its staff. Particular thanks are due to Professor Pertti Vakkilainen for encouragement in this work. The inspiration and expertise of Professor Asit K. Biswas, Dr Cecilia Tortajada and Ms. Alexandra Pres is greatly acknowledged. The study has received funding from Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki r.y. association.