If I could travel back in time to advise Middle Eastern leaders about water resources, I would be very nervous to do so. I would need a lot more knowledge and training than I already have about water so that I would sound smart and have solid solutions. I was interested in the water crisis of Syria and Jordan. Syria is running out of water but the civil war refugees are fleeing to Jordan, a country that already has trouble providing water to their people. Jordan is now in more danger of running out of water due to the influx of demand. Based on the knowledge I have now about the issue I would advise them to be aware of potential water problems in the future. I would advise them to draft treaties and agreements on sharing water rights and conserving rivers and lakes. Jordan currently has many wells but experts are worried the water contained in them will only last a few years. I would recommend that they construct a solid water pipeline (one that does not leak). I would also recommend that they find ways to capture and use rainwater (during wet seasons) and recycle water.
What would I recommend they keep the same? I would say that Jordanians have been very good about conserving water because they have always struggled with their water resources. I would say keep doing that. I feel this is something we should all be doing to conserve water. Only use what you need, and don’t waste any.
What would I recommend they do differently? I understand how tense it may be when you have such strong religions battling for a sacred resource, however I feel religion and greed need to be put aside. The leaders of these countries need to step up and make hard decisions and maybe enlist people to help them come up with new ideas on how to conserve water. If changes aren’t made, who knows what may happen.
I’m not sure that the leaders would view my recommendations as worth implementing. If they value the opinions of their people, then I think they would. I worry that because I am not apart of their country they would be offended that I am coming in and pointing out insufficiencies.
The three pieces of information that I think I would need from the past are:
- History of droughts and rainfall patterns. This might be a good indicator of what may happen in the future.
- I know global warming is a current issue but it has been occurring over years. I would think data on how global warming may have been and how it currently is affecting these regions could be important information to have.
- Documents or plans on why they built water systems. Why did they choose this way? How was it beneficial to them at the time?
To start looking for these answers I would go to the library. The librarian would be very helpful in finding these resources and pointing me in the right direction. I could use the internet but it might take longer to find valuable information.
I really enjoyed your post! It is sad to think that because of what is happening in Syria that Jordan ( and surrounding countries) will be negatively impacted and will themselves have to face many uncertainties. I like your ideas of constructing a solid water pipeline using rain water and water recycling.
I think that most countries are open to outside aid as long as that person is knowledgable and understanding of their specific situation and respects social norms.
The other information you would gather if this was to turn into a research paper would give you a really clear picture about the situation.
I thought that your three points of history where very close to mine. I think it is important to understand their rainfall patterns. Knowing that would help allow us to implement water systems that will help conserve the water. All in all I liked what you had to say about this post. Good work.