By Ecssr
Across the Middle East, population growth and the rising consumption of water represent two key variables that are closely intertwined. When added to the projected impact of climate change on the region, they threaten to undermine established methods that attempt to ensure a manageable level of domestic and regional water security. Developing nations lacking water security are forced to contend with the looming complications this shortage could yield, which consequently obstruct attempts to achieve long-term, sustainable development. It is therefore imperative that policy and decision-makers be mindful of ongoing environmental, societal and technological developments that hold the potential to either better assist, or alternatively, hinder their efforts in managing limited water supplies. The conference, titled ‘Climate Change and the Future of Water’, co-organized by the ECSSR and the University of Maine, was held in Abu Dhabi from October 14–15, 2014. It brought together a group of distinguished experts and scientific researchers drawn from academia and government to provide valuable insights into developments in climate change and water security. In view of the clear importance of this issue to the Arab Gulf region, the ECSSR is pleased to present the resultant papers compiled in this volume. These professional and academic perspectives regarding regional implications of climate change and water scarcity offer innovative approaches to combatting some of the problems tied to climate change and water security.
