These are the countries facing the most serious ecological challengers, according to the Ecological Threat Register (https://ecologicalthreatregister.org). Water related problems are amongst the main factors.
This ranking is particularly negative for Muslim countries. Among the top twenty most threatened countries, eleven are Muslim or host significant Muslim communities.
It is important to keep in mind the dimension of this resource.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey there are around 1.386 cubic Km of water on Earth. But, based on UNESCO World Water Assessment Program, only 2.5% of this is fresh water. Of this percentage glaciers account for 1.72% of the total; the fact that they are melting may further increase the percentage of sea water.
If we look at the amount that water each country can access, we can see that it is a quite unevenly distributed resource. According to FAO AQUASTAT (http://www.fao.org/aquastat/), this is the world distribution of Total Renewable Water Resources per country (measured in Cubic Km per year). Brazil and Russia have the largest amounts by far, and most Muslim countries have to make do with more limited quantities (apart from South East Asian states).
However, surface freshwater is a flowing resource. That is why it is important to look at the Dependency Ratio - that is the indicator expressing the percent of total renewable water resources that originate outside each country.
Data from FAO AQUASTAT (http://www.fao.org/aquastat/
And several Muslims countries are highly dependent.
Data from FAO AQUASTAT (http://www.fao.org/aquastat/
This is not surprising. Some Muslim countries have increased their Water Stress ratios - that is, the amount of Freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources.
Data from FAO AQUASTAT (http://www.fao.org/aquastat/)
Muslim countries use their water in three main sectors: agriculture, industry and municipal use. Some of these figures should be taken with caution. For example, the lack of data for agricultural use in Bangladesh has automatically led to drastic increase in the country’s municipal use.
Click on the arrow on the left to see the evolution until 2017
This data confirms that, on the whole, Muslim countries allocate most of their water resources for agricultural purposes.
However, it cannot be denied that municipalities are consuming more and more water resources. Here we can see the evolution of Municipal Water Withdrawal measured in Cubic Km per year.
Data from FAO AQUASTAT (http://www.fao.org/aquastat/)
We have to realise that cities now present a major ecological challenge regarding the management of water resources. First, they require larger quantities of water not only because of population growth but also because of different types of urban developments. Second, many cities in Muslim countries have poor and limited capability for water management. Third, deficient sewage systems, that often contaminate tap water for human consumption, make the problem worse. According to the BBC (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-42982959) these are the eleven cities facing the worst water problems. But others could follow soon.
Muslim communities urgently need to take a more sustainable approach to water management. Advancing climate emergency will bring new and even more serious challenges in the near future. With proper anticipation and diligent planning, these challenges could be successfully tackled.
