Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Acronyms and Abbreviations -- Overview -- Chapter 1: Factors Inside and Outside the Water Sector Drive MENA's Water Outcomes -- Hydrology Is Important, but Institutions and Policies Determine How Well Countries Manage the Water They Have -- Many Factors Driving Poor Water Outcomes Come from Outside the Water Sector -- MENA Countries Are Facing New Water Challenges -- The Region Faces Three Types of Scarcity -- The Pace of Reform Is Determined by the Political Economy -- Structure of the Report -- Chapter 2: Progress, but Problems -- Progress Dealing with Scarcity of the Physical Resource -- Progress Dealing with Organizational Scarcity -- Progress Dealing with Scarcity of Accountability -- Conclusion -- Chapter 3: Several Factors That Drive the Politics of Water Reform Are Changing -- Economic Forces Driving Change -- Environmental Forces Driving Change -- Social Forces Driving Change -- International Drivers of Change -- Institutional Changes That Can Reduce the Social Impact of Reform -- Conclusion -- Chapter 4: MENA Countries Can Leverage the Potential for Change by Improving External Accountability -- Strong Economies and Accountability Mechanisms Have Helped Some Arid Countries Reform Water Management -- MENA's Water Organizations Are Operating in an Environment of Inadequate Accountability to Users -- How Does External Accountability Relate to Water Outcomes? -- Conclusions -- Chapter 5: MENA Countries Can Meet the Water Management Challenges of the Twenty-First Century -- Options for Nonwater Policy Makers to Affect Political Opportunities -- Options for Improving Accountability within the Water Sector -- Applying the Approach in Practice -- Conclusion -- Appendixes -- Appendix 1 Water Resources Data -- Appendix 2 Water Services Data -- Appendix 3 Country Profiles.

Appendix 4 Case Studies: Mitigating Risks and Conflict -- References -- Index -- List of Tables -- Table 1.1 Perverse Incentives for Excess Irrigation -- Table 1.2 Public Expenditure on Water, as a Share of GDP -- Table 2.1 Total Dam Capacity and Share of Freshwater Stored in Reservoirs, by Country -- Table 2.2 Desalination Capacity in Non-Gulf MENA Countries -- Table 2.3 Percentage of Population with Access to Improved Water and Basic Sanitation -- Table 2.4 Area Equipped for Irrigation in MENA, 2000 -- Table 2.5 Strength of Environmental NGOs in the MENA Region -- Table 3.1 Returns to Water Use in the MENA Region, by Crop -- Table 3.2 Fruit and Vegetables' Annual Growth Rates, 1980-2000 -- Table 3.3 The Fiscal Context of Irrigation and Water Supply Sector Reforms -- Table 3.4 Socioeconomic Implications of Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in Some Middle Eastern Countries -- Table 3.5 Mechanisms for Resolving Conflict over Water: Tradition versus Modernity -- Table 4.1 Selected Operating Performance Indicators for MENA Water Utilities -- Table 4.2 Excess Cost of Vended Water Compared with Utility Water in Selected MENA Cities -- Table 5.1 Institutional Responsibility for Water Management -- Table A1.1 Actual Renewable Water Resources per Capita, by Region -- Table A1.2 Renewable Water Resources Withdrawn, by Region -- Table A1.3 Total Renewable Water Resources Withdrawn per Capita, by Region -- Table A1.4 Total Renewable Water Resources per Capita, by Country -- Table A1.5 Water Available or Used, by Source -- Table A1.6 Total Water Withdrawal as a Percentage of Total Renewable Water Resources -- Table A1.7 Dependency Ratio -- Table A1.8 Water Withdrawal, by Sector -- Table A1.9 Water Stored in Reservoirs as a Percentage of Total Renewable Water Resources -- Table A1.10 Dam Capacity as a Percentage of Total Renewable Water Resources in MENA.

Table A1.11 MENA Region Rural and Urban Population Trends, 1950-2030 -- Table A2.1 Sources for Operating Cost Coverage Ratios -- Table A2.2 Sources for Nonrevenue Water Ratio -- List of Figures -- Figure 1 Proportion of Regional Surface Freshwater Resources Stored in Reservoirs -- Figure 2 Access to Improved Water Supply and Sanitation by Region, 2002 -- Figure 3 Percentage of Total Renewable Water Resources Withdrawn, by Region -- Figure 1.1 Actual Renewable Freshwater Resources per Capita, by Region -- Figure 1.2 The Unusual Combination of Low Precipitation and High Variability in MENA Countries -- Figure 1.3 Total Actual Renewable Water Resources per Capita in MENA -- Figure 1.4 Share of Water Available or Used, by Source -- Figure 1.5 Percentage of Total Renewable Water Resources Withdrawn, by Region -- Figure 1.6 Value of Groundwater Depletion in Selected MENA Countries -- Figure 1.7 The Three Levels of Scarcity -- Figure 1.8 Model of the Political Economy of Decision Making -- Figure 2.1 Proportion of Regional Surface Freshwater Resources Stored in Reservoirs -- Figure 2.2 Fill Rate of Dams in Morocco, 1986-2004 -- Figure 2.3 Frequency of Two Consecutive Drought Years in December in Morocco, Based on Four Different Starting Years -- Figure 2.4 Evaluation of Water Policies and Organizations: MENA and Comparator Countries, 2004 -- Figure 2.5 Nonrevenue Water Ratio for Utilities in Select Countries and Major Cities -- Figure 3.1 Political and Social Forces Acting on Interest Groups -- Figure 3.2 Labor Requirements of Moroccan Agriculture -- Figure 3.3 Farm Employment and the Aggregate Measure of Support (AMS) for Agriculture, 2000 -- Figure 3.4 Change in Agricultural Value-Added and GDP per Capita Growth, MENA, 1975-2005 -- Figure 3.5 Oil Prices Drive Budget Balances -- Figure 3.6 Energy Production and Water Cost Recovery in 11 MENA Countries.

Figure 3.7 Operating Cost Coverage Ratio for Utilities in Select Countries and Major Cities in MENA -- Figure 4.1 Water Policies and Institutions Are Stronger but Accountability Weaker in MENA Than in 27 Comparator Countries -- Figure 4.2 Quality of Services in MENA Countries, by Relative Level of Accountability -- Figure 4.3 Command Area of Dams and Irrigation Infrastructure in Iran and Algeria -- Figure 4.4 Annual Cost of Environmental Degradation of Water -- Figure 5.1 Policy Objectives and Responses to the Three Stages of Water Management in Arid Regions -- Figure 5.2 Types of Benefits from Services Derived from Different Water Investments -- Figure A1.1 Actual Renewable Water Resources per Capita, by Region -- Figure A1.2 Percentage of Total Renewable Water Resources Withdrawn, by Region -- Figure A1.3 Total Renewable Water Resources Withdrawn per Capita, by Region -- Figure A1.4 Total Renewable Water Resources per Capita, by Country (actual) -- Figure A1.5a Volume of Water Resources Available, by Source -- Figure A1.5b Percentage of Water Resources Available, by Source -- Figure A1.6 Total Water Withdrawal as a Percentage of Total Renewable Water Resources -- Figure A1.7 Dependency Ratio -- Figure A1.8 Water Withdrawal, by Sector -- Figure A1.9 Water Stored in Reservoirs as a Percentage of Total Renewable Water Resources -- Figure A1.10 Dam Capacity as a Percentage of Total Renewable Water Resources in MENA -- Figure A1.11 MENA Region Rural and Urban Population Trends, 1950-2030 -- Figure A2.1 Percent with Access to Water Services -- Figure A2.2 Water Requirement Ratio -- Figure A2.3 Operating Cost Coverage Ratio for Utilities in Selected Countries and Major Cities in MENA -- Figure A2.4 Nonrevenue Water Ratio for Utilities in Selected Countries and Major Cities in MENA -- Figure A3.1 Algeria's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service.

Figure A3.2 Bahrain's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.3 Djibouti's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.4 Egypt's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.5 Iran's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.6 Jordan's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.7 Kuwait's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.8 Lebanon's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.9 Morocco's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.10 Oman's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.11 Qatar's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.12 Saudi Arabia's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.13 Syria's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.14 Tunisia's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.15 United Arab Emirates' Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.16 West Bank and Gaza's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- Figure A3.17 Yemen's Position on Three Dimensions of Water Service -- List of Maps -- Map 1 Aridity Zoning -- Map 2 Population Density -- Map 3 Urban versus Rural Areas -- Map 4 Area Equipped for Irrigation -- List of Boxes -- Box 1.1 Understanding Water Scarcity -- Box 1.2 Water and Land Disputes Leave Many Dead, According to the Yemeni Press -- Box 2.1 Benefits from the Aswan High Dam -- Box 2.2 Progress Providing Water Supply -- Box 3.1 Demographic Changes Drive Different Responses to Water Crises -- Box 3.2 Changing Social Priorities Affected Water Lobbies in Spain and the United States -- Box 3.3 Water as a Vehicle for Cooperation: The Nile Basin Initiative -- Box 3.4 Changing Agricultural Support in Turkey.

Box 3.5 Complex Rules for Ensuring Equitable Distribution of Water in the Oases of the Western Desert of Egypt.