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Assessing Desertification and Water Harvesting in the Middle East and North Africa: Policy Implications

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  • Nasr, Mamdouh

Abstract

This study examines four sets of questions: What is desertification, and how can its impact on productivity be monitored? How extensive is the desertification problem in the MENA region now, and how has it changed over time? What is the current status of the water-harvesting techniques used to control desertification in the MENA region? What are the main demographic, technical, social, and economic forces driving the problem as it now exists and how will it be influenced by observable trends, particularly in Egypt? Potential policy actions and their implications are discussed against the background of what is already being done in governmental and non-governmental efforts to address the problem of desertification in the MENA region. At the same time the research explores the economics of water harvesting in the region and its potentials for expanded desert utilization. The study presents environmental data on each of the countries in the MENA region and on the region as a whole, which was collected by a satellite remote sensing system over the last 17 years. The images of the MENA region produced by the NOAA satellite showed no alarming damage to vegetation – quite the opposite: we estimated that the vegetational boundary has expanded into the desert in most of the MENA countries due to human actions.

Suggested Citation

  • Nasr, Mamdouh, 1999. "Assessing Desertification and Water Harvesting in the Middle East and North Africa: Policy Implications," Discussion Papers 279852, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:ubzefd:279852
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.279852
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    Cited by:

    1. Ghaleb Fansa Saleh & Emilio Iranzo García & Alejandro J. Pérez Cueva, 2023. "Comparative Analysis of Animal-Powered Waterwheels in Mediterranean Alluvial Plains: Medjerda (Tunisia) and Jucar Rivers (Spain)," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-16, March.
    2. World Bank, 2003. "Prospects for Irrigated Agriculture : Whether Irrigated Area and Irrigation Water Must Increase to Meet Food Needs in the Future," World Bank Publications - Reports 14655, The World Bank Group.
    3. Virchow, Detlef, 1999. "Spending on Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture: How much and how efficient?," Discussion Papers 280138, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    4. Stark, Oded & Wang, Yong, 2002. "Inducing human capital formation: migration as a substitute for subsidies," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 29-46, October.
    5. Heuermann, Arnulf, 1999. "ie Bedeutung von Telekommunikationsdiensten für wirtschaftliches Wachstum," Discussion Papers 280139, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    6. Al Karadsheh, Dr. Esmat & Akroush, Dr. Samia & Mazahreh, Eng. Safa, 2013. "Land Degradation in Jordan- Review of knowledge resources," Working Papers 253829, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
    7. Zeller, Manfred, 1999. "Towards Enhancing the Role of Microfinance for Safety Nets of the Poor," Discussion Papers 280263, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).

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