The shared nature of Israel’s water resources poses a particular challenge. In order for water use to become sustainable in the region, transboundary water management must be improved.

Policy, innovation and management have helped the country address and in some cases overcome some of these challenges.

In 2012, the Water Authority published a master plan outlining a strategy to ensure water availability until 2050. While total water use is expected to rise from 2,131 MCM in 2010 to 3,571 MCM in 2050

Israel has developed innovative solutions to address its water challenges. The most significant of these are desalination and wastewater reuse . . .

Lebanon has 40 rivers of which 17 are considered perennial. The total combined annual river flow is estimated at around 3,900 million cubic metres (MCM), with most of the flow (75%) occurring from January to May.

In 1997, the World Bank described the water situation in Gaza as an “emergency state of affairs”. Yet nearly 20 years on, the levels of pumping have only increased, pollution has worsened and large parts of the water infrastructure in the area have been damaged or destroyed. Why was Gaza’s “emergency state of affairs” left to deteriorate beyond the point of repair?

The Gaza Strip has been facing a steadily worsening water crisis for the past decade. Overall, more than 96% of water in the Gaza Strip is unfit for human use.

Shifting regional relationships have affected Jordan’s access to these shared resources throughout the country’s history. In several cases, Jordan has received less than its equitable share of the resource, as upstream neighbours overexploit rivers and groundwater sources through damming, diversions and pumping.