2.2 Land resources


2.1 Water resources


Chapter 2: State of the Environment and Policy Response


A


ll the GEO-6 regional assessments follow the Drivers, Pressures, State, Impacts and Response (DPSIR) assessment framework; looking at each of the


elements of this framework within a regional context. For West Asia the main drivers of environmental change include economic development and population growth. However, as highlighted in the regional priorities, another significant driver is the nexus between water, energy and food, which leads to its own drivers and pressures on local populations and human health.


This section considers the main drivers and the pressures they exert on the environment by analysing recent trends in the state of the environment as well as the policy responses that could help address these impacts. The analysis is conducted according to seven environmental themes:


• Water resources; • Land resources; • Coastal and marine resources; • •


Biodiversity; Air;


• Climate change; • Waste management.


Table 2.1: Summary of pressures and policy responses extracted from West Asia regional assessment using DPSIR Pressures


Policy Responses


• Water demand • Groundwater depletion • Climate change impacts • Extreme weather events


• Moving towards integrated water resources management • Water sector reallocation • Enhancement of water availability • Desalination • Treated wastewater reuse • Regional cooperation on water management


• Population growth • Past and current conflicts • Climate change and mismanagement of groundwater resources


• Concentrate on securing food in the first place and preserving and enhancing natural resources


• Capitalize on tradition and local knowledge of land resources • Implementing synergistic activities related to combating land degradation, biodiversity conservation and adaptation and mitigation activities related to climate change


• Strengthening institutional capacity and updating laws for better planning of land resources


Contd...


 Credit: Shutterstock/ Africa Studio


37


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