| August 2010 |
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Water shortage endangers Syria's future Syria is one of 10 countries at "extreme risk" of future water shortages because of limited access to clean, fresh water, according to an index assessing water security risk released by UK consulting firm Maplecroft last month. The countries listed as having the least secure water supplies in the world are Niger, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan. In all, 165 countries were evaluated in the index. "Climate change and increasing demands from population growth will cause a worsening of water stress over the coming decades," Maplecroft Environmental Analyst Anna Moss said. "There is a risk of water stress exacerbating future risks of conflict, although there is evidence that water scarcity may also help foster cooperation instead, within and between states and up to regional levels." The countries with the most stable supplies of clean water include Iceland, Norway and New Zealand. Maplecroft specialises in corporate risk intelligence. |
1 February 2012
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