Water Resources Vulnerability Assessment of MENA Countries Considering Energy and Virtual Water Interactions

Scarce water resources of MENA countries are under multiple stressors: population growth, growing economies, land use changes, changing lifestyles or climatic variability. The vulnerability of such resources is often analyzed using simple, sector-specific indicators. This study develops a holistic country-based vulnerability assessment of water resources using an integrated index. This Country Vulnerability Index of Water Resources (CVIW) considers cross-sectoral linkages as a way to mitigate vulnerability. The index provides a macro-level overview of the status of water resources in the MENA region using regional analysis and individual country vulnerability profiles. The index is a composite of the socio-economic and natural components. It considers solutions to reduce vulnerability by importing virtual water or using available energy resources. The assessment provides an overview of water resources threats in the region considering the capacity of the water management to absorb such threats.