Chapter 1 Media Article

Scarcity of water resources in the Gulf region causes new challenge,

http://www.ameinfo.com/101678.html

Nov 13 06

Scarcity of water resources in the Gulf region is evidently causing a problem for the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. For now, the scarcity of water only poses as a minor problem but this can quickly escalate to pose as a serious threat to the gulf nations. Experts are warning that if this epidemic does not change soon, it will cause significant environmental challenges for all these countries in the near future. Dr Zain Al Abden Al Sayed Rizk is the Dean of the Institute of Environment, Energy & Water. Dr Rizk proposes a variety of ideas that would be suitable to minimize the risks and damages associated with the scarcity of water in the Gulf region. Dr Rizk believes in the fact that highly technological and scientific methods would be the best option to maintain control over the problem. Dr Rizk believes that the generations to come will need to be properly educated in order to raise awareness of this problem. To accomplish the task of educating the young, he says that the launching of post-graduate courses that offer diplomas and Bachelor degrees could have a significant impact to solving the problem. Presently, the post graduate courses have helped. Dr Rizk states that in order to tackle the problem of water scarcity in the region, we need to have a fairly large amount of graduate students who specializes in the field of water and environmental studies together working with the various research institutes and be obligated to help with the best of the knowledge they have. In the long term, he expects researchers and the graduate students with the help they can offer, to use the new innovative research equipments to make research and studies to somehow solve this problem.

Relationship to Chp 1 - Resource (land) Scarcity

The international community bears some responsibility for the world's global epidemics and international problems. By ignoring problems that would eventually become severe, we're making it harder for future generations to cope with the problem. Thus, the theory of sustainable development should be properly enforced by all nations to ensure we meet the needs of the future generations. The scarcity of water resources in the Gulf region would likely become a bigger issue for the governments of these nations to deal with. I believe that environmental organizations and institutes shouldn't be the only ones voicing their concerns in order for it gets formally addressed in the international community for aid. The international community; Europe, North America should foreshadow the problems to come in many areas of the world and attempt to aid those nations in need at the same time as the local organizations in the gulf region.