The unequal distribution of water in the Middle East impacts irrigation and drinking water. Countries like Saudi Arabia have little water and rely on irrigation to farm, but share rivers like the Tigris and Euphrates with other countries. Water pollution from fertilizer runoff and untreated sewage is a problem. Countries building dams limits downstream water supply, creating conflicts over access to water. Expensive desalination and drip irrigation are used by wealthier countries like Israel and Saudi Arabia.

1. Explain how water pollution and the unequal distribution
of water impacts irrigation and drinking water.
SS7G6

2. Water issues
Water is unevenly distributed (not equally
shared)in the Middle East
Most countries like Saudi Arabia have
almost no water and are mostly desert
Turkey and Iraq share the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers
Israel, Syria, and Jordan share the Jordan
river
These countries need water to farm and
raise animals so irrigation is very important

3. Water issues cont’d
Farmers struggle to have enough water so many types of
irrigation are used in the Middle East. Some examples
include:
Underground aquifers-layers of underground rock where
water runoff form rains and streams is trapped.
Fossil water wells- drilling for water that has been
underground for centuries
Israel and Saudi Arabia uses:
Drip irrigation- using a computer that measures out how
much water each plant receives
Desalination- the process of removing salt and other
chemicals from seawater
Why do you think just Israel and Saudi Arabia? $$$$$$

4. Water issues cont’d
Water pollution is a growing problem in the
Middle East
Chemical fertilizers used for farming can runoff
and contaminate streams and rivers
Using too much chemical fertilizers can cause a
build up in the salt levels of the soil which make
it impossible to farm the land
Effective ways to manage garbage and treat
sewage also cause pollution problems in the
Middle East

5. Water issues cont’d
Access to water causes conflicts in the Middle
East (that’s right, fighting over water)
Middle Eastern countries share the rivers and
often times build their own dams to produce
hydroelectric power which limits the amount of
water used further downstream

6. Pop Quiz
1. Which river do Syria, Israel, and Jordan
share?
a. Euphrates
b. Jordan
c. Nile
d. Tigris

7. Pop Quiz
2. How has the building of dams created problems
for countries sharing rivers in Southwest Asia?
a.Dams are too expensive to build to be practical
b.Dams limit the water available to countries
further downstream
c.Few countries have the technology needed to be
able to build dams
d.Countries in Southwest Asia are not allowed to
build dams along shared rivers

8. Pop Quiz
3. What is one problem chemical fertilizers cause
for farmers?
a.Chemical fertilizers make farm animals sick
b.Chemicals have led to build-up of salt levels in
the soil
c.Fertilizers are too expensive for anyone in
Southwest Asia to use
d.Few countries in Southwest Asia have factories
to make fertilizers

9. Pop Quiz
4. How has the use of fertilizers affected water
supplies in many countries in Southwest Asia?
a.Use of chemical fertilizers means crops must be
watered constantly
b.Enormous amounts of water must be used to
produce chemical fertilizers
c.Water supplies have been contaminated by the
chemicals through runoff from the fields
d.Chemical fertilizers have had very little effect on
local water supplies in Southwest Asia

10. Pop Quiz
5. Why isn’t desalination and drip irrigation used
more in Southwest Asia?
a.Most countries do not know about these
technologies
b.Drip irrigation is not very effective in a hot, dry
climate
c.Few countries in Southwest Asia have access to
seawater
d.These technologies are very expensive for the
countries to use