Despite widespread aridity in the Middle East, human societies have had access to adequate water resources until the second half of the twentieth century. With the rapid growth of population from around 150 million in 1950 to almost 400 million in 2000 great pressure has been exerted on existing water resources so that in certain countries these are now totally committed. Examination of water use indicates that each cubic metre of water utilised in the industrial and service sectors generates at least 200 times more wealth than in the agricultural sector. This suggests that as water shortages increase many countries will be best served by the reallocation of irrigation water to meet the growing water needs of the urban regions.
