The book provides an overview on national policies and regulations related to water resource management in the Middle East and North African countries (MENA), where water scarcity problems are critical. The physical/natural constraints, socio-economic and political circumstances make the MENA region a sort of 'laboratory' for natural resource management and particularly water management. The book provides a good comparison on how neighboring countries with quite similar natural constraints and cultures are addressing water problems in different ways. It enlightens water resource specialists on successful experiences around the region and show cases the reforms undertaken in the water sector to meet the challenges posed by urbanization, food security, water pollution and climate change. The book constitutes nine chapters, seven of them with content from the main MENA countries. It starts with an introductory chapter that provides background information on the region's water resources with descriptive statistics and historical developments of the water sector. It ends with a chapter that summarizes the policy implications and main conclusions on the way forward for sustainable management of water in MENA countries.

Autorentext

Dr Slim Zekri is a Professor and Head of the Department of Natural Resource Economics at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Oman. He earned his PhD in Agricultural Economics and Quantitative Methods from the University of Cordoba, Spain. He is Associate Editor of the journal of Water Economics and Policy. Dr. Zekri has worked as a consultant for a range of national and international agencies on natural resource economics, policy and governance, agriculture, and water economics in the Middle East and North Africa. He is member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the FAO's Globally Interesting Agricultural Heritage Systems. His main research interests are Water Economics and Environmental Economics. In 2017 he was awarded the Research and Innovation Award in Water Science from the Sultan Qaboos Higher Center for Culture & Science in the Scientific Publications Category. 

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