Experiments in Achieving Water and Food Self-Sufficiency in the Middle EastElie Elhadj, 2006 - 212 páginas The book aims to quantify and analyze how two water scarce but ideologically different Middle Eastern political economies, Saudi Arabia and Syria, addressed water sector investment between 1980 and 2000. The study examines how narrow-coalitions of decision-makers obsessed by impossible-to-achieve food self-sufficiency goals, lacking environmental consideration and safe political processes contributed to massively waste scarce resources and unsustainable water policies. The book shows that of Saudi Arabia's US$1,034 billion in oil revenues (1974-2001), 48% was spent on security, plus 10% on the ruling family. Nominal Per capita income dropped by 42% (1981-2000). Syria's per capita income dropped (1985-2000) by 17%, to US$1,200. Armaments' consumed (1970-1990) 13% of GDP. Agricultural investment was wasteful. Saudis produced wheat at five times the international price, depleted 300 billion m3 of mainly non-renewable groundwater and degraded aquifers' quality. 53% of Saudis have no municipal water connections. Syria's Government return on agricultural investment in 2000 was estimated at US$150 million loss. Aquifers' quality was degraded, leaving most urban households enduring acute water shortages. |
Contenido
Abstract | ix |
Abbreviations | xv |
Chapter One | 21 |
Chapter Two | 49 |
The Effect of Water Politics in Saudi Arabia on the Misallocation of Economic | 69 |
Chapter Four | 95 |
B The economic cost of water produced in recently built desalination plants | 100 |
Chapter Five | 107 |
The Effect of Water Politics in Syria on the Misallocation of Economic | 121 |
What was the water cost of Syrias Government irrigation schemes? | 140 |
Introduction | 147 |
Otras ediciones - Ver todas
Experiments in Achieving Water and Food Self-Sufficiency in the Middle East ... Elie Elhadj Sin vista previa disponible - 2005 |
Términos y frases comunes
Alawite allocation aquifers Arabia and Syria assumed average Baath Party Barada/Awaj Basin capita GDP capita income capital investment cereals commercial banks cost of capital country's crops cubic meter desalinated water desalination plants developing countries domestic water economic cost economic growth estimated Euphrates River exchange rate exports farmers financial markets foodstuffs foreign currencies funds Greater Damascus Region groundwater household water Ibid increase infrastructure investors irrigated land irrigated surface irrigation water Islamic land reclamation m3 of water m3 per annum m3 per hectare m3 per person m3 per second military million hectares million m3 million tonnes non-renewable oil revenues operating expenses opportunity cost pipeline political private sector production projects Riyadh sanitation services Saudi Arabia Saudi government Saudi Riyal Saudi water Section sources spending SSAb subsidies tonnes virtual water Wahhabism wastewater water and sanitation water crisis water utilities wheat World Bank