Water scarcity in the Arab region is intensifying due to population growth, economic development and the impacts of climate change. It is manifest in groundwater depletion, freshwater ecosystem degradation, deteriorating water quality, low levels of water storage per capita and added pressures on transboundary water resources. High‐income Arab countries have sought to circumvent the ever‐present challenges of water scarcity through agricultural imports (virtual water trade), desalination and increasingly wastewater reuse. In this review article, we argue that the narrative of water scarcity and supply‐side technological fixes masks more systemic issues that threaten sustainable water management, including under‐performing water utilities, protracted armed conflict and displacement, agricultural policies aimed at self‐sufficiency, evolving food consumption behaviors, the future of energy markets, and educational policy. Water management challenges, particularly on the demand side, and responses in the Arab region cannot be understood in isolation from these broader regional and international political and socio‐economic trends. Recognizing the complex and interdependent challenges of water management, and how these vary across the Arab region, is the first step in reforming approaches and shifting to more sustainable development outcomes and stability in the Arab region and beyond.

中文翻译：

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解决问题：确保阿拉伯地区的可持续水管理

由于人口增长，经济发展和气候变化的影响，阿拉伯区域的水资源短缺正在加剧。它表现为地下水枯竭，淡水生态系统退化，水质恶化，人均储水量低以及跨界水资源压力增加。高收入的阿拉伯国家试图通过农业进口（虚拟水贸易），海水淡化和越来越多的废水回用来克服水短缺的挑战。在这篇评论文章中，我们认为，水资源短缺和供应方技术修复的叙述掩盖了威胁可持续水资源管理的更多系统性问题，包括表现不佳的自来水公司，旷日持久的武装冲突和流离失所，旨在自给自足的农业政策，不断变化的食品消费行为，能源市场的未来以及教育政策。水管理方面的挑战，特别是在需求方面的挑战，以及阿拉伯地区的对策不能孤立于这些更广泛的地区和国际政治与社会经济趋势。认识到水资源管理的复杂和相互依存的挑战，以及在整个阿拉伯区域如何变化，这是改革方法的第一步，并转向在阿拉伯区域及其他地区实现更可持续的发展成果和稳定。