• 
• Japanese
• 
• IETC's Focal Area
• Waste Management
• Publications & Tools
• Meetings & Workshops
• Global Partnership on Waste Management
• Water and Sanitation
• Publications & Tools
• Meetings & Workshops
• Resources
• Publications & Tools
• About IETC
• Background and History
• Director
• Activity Reports
• Supporting Foundations
• Contact Us

<Sourcebook of Alternative Technologies for Freshwater Augmentation in West Asia>

FOREWORD

We are pleased to introduce the Eighth Volume (f) of the series of Sourcebooks on Alternative Technologies for Freshwater Augmentation now focusing in the West Asian Region where water is a very important and invaluable resource. The Region is characterized for its aridity and vast deserts making water to evaporate very fast while at the same time permeating into the soil rapidly before it could be properly used or contained. Furthermore, the very scant rains existing in the region are not evenly distributed making the situation even more problematic as a whole.

Through history inhabitants of West Asia have developed techniques to capture and keep water making the best out of the ever small available amount falling from precipitation and obtained from other sources, but in current times the problem of scarcity has become larger due to the increased demand from larger human population in the region. This has lead to increased use of water for industry and agricultural development.

With higher water demand and declining availability of water per capita the identification of alternative sources of freshwater have become a priority in the region. Many of the Arabian Gulf States have become leaders in using unconventional water sources such as the reuse of treated sanitary and agricultural drainage water. Desalination of seawater as well as saline overexploited mantles has become a normal way to obtain freshwater.

The present Sourcebook provides a comprehensive description of the existing technologies available in West Asia so that decision makers, government and non-governmental organizations can use as a reference to promote the sound planning and management of freshwater resources in this particular region.

The International Environmental Technology Centre (UNEP-DTIE-IETC) together with the Regional Office of UNEP for West Asia (ROWA) and the Arab Centre for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) prepared the Sourcebook for the purpose of enhancing the exchange of information and facilitation on alternative technologies for freshwater augmentation between regions, enable interested experts and governments officials to learn about the variety of technological methods use in arid, semi-arid and desertic regions, and provide a source of information to planners and managers where similar characteristics may call for similar technological approaches.

As with the other publications in this series we again expect the reader to find the information in the Sourcebook useful, and although the techniques or technologies may be applicable to their specific needs one should also bear in mind that for the successful transfer adaptations for their specific conditions may be required.

Table of Contents

• Brochure
• 
• 



• International Year of Forests
• 
• 



• World Environment Day
• 
• 



• UNEP Campaign
• 
•