Role of Indigenous Knowledge & Innovation in Water Management

Article published on EcoMENA: https://www.ecomena.org/indigenous-knowledge-and-innovation-in-water-management/

Our ancestors have created astounding water management systems and applications that helped them combat the harsh climate and scarce natural resources in many parts of this universe. Read on to know how ancient civilizations used indigenous knowledge in water management, and how innovation and entrepreneurship can ward off the water crisis facing the entire MENA region.

The Golden Past

Within MENA and since the 4^th century BCE, the strongest civilizations made it through arid and semis arid conditions mainly due to their robust water technologies and hydraulic engineering. In the 14th century, the deliberations of the great Tunis-born social scientist and scholar Ibn Khaldun indicated that resilient dynasties were supported by the establishment of cities. He also highlighted the provision of freshwater as one of the few critical requirements for anchoring cities and sustaining civilizations.

The Nabataeans

Petra, a 2,000-year-old capital of the Nabatean Kingdom (South of Jordan nowadays), contains invaluable evidence of such indigenous innovations. Using sophisticated water technology, the Nabataeans were able to ensure a continuous water supply throughout the year and simultaneously mitigate the dangerous effects of flashfloods. They focused on the deep understanding of all sources of water available and on adopting techniques to best monitor, harness, maintain, and utilize those resources. They balanced their reservoir water storage capacity with their pipeline system and utilized particle-settling basins to purify water for drinking purposes.

The Nabataeans’ extensive understanding of their constraints and strengths allowed them to create a system that maximized water flow rates while minimizing leakage and supported a prosperous life for many years later.

Oman

Innovation is not about engineering and science only; water markets and decentralized management of water resources are important aspects in times when regulatory bodies and water user associations struggle to master. Oman enjoys one of the most ancient community-based water management schemes that was based on water rights, institutions, and markets.

Water prices were adjusted to respond to changes in demand and supply. Well established water rights, transparent management and allowing for water trading were major contributors to improved management of irrigation water back then.

The Future is Here

While the potential to innovate in the water sector is limitless, it is still under exploited in the MENA region. Information technology, data management, telecommunication, artificial intelligence, and many other tools create opportunities to innovate and contribute to robust water management solutions and to socioeconomic development.

In the MENA region, innovation and entrepreneurship have never been as central to development plans as they are today. Creating an enabling environment for tech startups that would attract investment, create jobs, and boost socioeconomic development is a common goal across the region.  As far as water is concerned, and despite the strategic significance of the sector, water innovations that could enter the market and find their way within and beyond the region are very few.

Most recently, the trending concepts of green growth and climate-smart solutions are reigniting the spark for more locally anchored water innovations to help alleviate both the economic and social stresses associated with water scarcity and poor management systems. In parallel, impact investing is becoming more popular, and today’s investors are searching for companies with a strong environment, social and governance (ESG) framework to invest in.

If one is to find a positive side for the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be the refocus it brought to local production and self-dependence. Whether in food, energy, or water; availability and affordability cannot be jeopardized. Since 2019, programs targeting innovations and startups in the food security and agri-tech domain have been expanding. Special innovation hubs, accelerators, incubators, and competitions were launched to support the water, energy, and food nexus with a strong link to climate change and social inclusion.

One example is the WE4F MENA Regional Innovation Hub which supports innovators with proven solutions tackling water and/or energy issues in urban or rural food production to scale up through multiple financial and non-financial tools. As such efforts gain more momentum, local needs started to emerge including up-skilling and knowledge management. Young graduates carry a relatively enough theoretical information about a single topic/specialty, yet most of those engineering, science and business graduates lack the practical skills and understanding of the nexus and the interconnectivity between water, food, energy, society, and environment. This led to the design of several upskilling and training programs to bridge the knowledge gap and introduce the young generation to the future.

A promising example of such upskilling modules is the one implemented through a partnership between The Sahara Forest Project and Al Hussein Technical University (HTU) in Jordan. This Upskilling Program for Female Engineers in Agritech and Food Security is being piloted on 30 young females from various Jordanian governorates that got selected based on an open application and preset criteria. The participating trainees are exposed to field training at The Sahara Forest Project in Aqaba, technical lectures and seminars by practitioners, mentorship by female leaders, and inspirational talks by market experts.

The objective of such programs should not be to only help the unemployed youth find jobs but rather to widen their perspective to be able to create opportunities for themselves and for their peers and local communities. Re-anchoring the value of agriculture, water, energy, and nature is by itself a trigger for transformation in the future of work in the MENA region.

Water Shortages in MENA: A Trigger for Resilience & Innovation

Article published on EcoMENA https://www.ecomena.org/water-shortages-in-mena/

Water has been – and will continue to be – a key shaper of life on earth. It is a major driver for the rise, dismantle, and displacement of civilizations. History has shown that water could be a cause of peace and conflict among nations.  From a more practical perspective, water is at the heart of socioeconomic and environmental development agendas. The MENA region is the most water-scarce region in the world, a situation being magnified by climate change and political instability. While the impacts of such amplified water challenge are becoming more visible, the indirect and unmeasured impacts on security and stability are expected to increase dramatically and rapidly in the coming years.

Most of the water resources existing in the Middle East are transboundary, a comprehensive and integrated water cooperation on the regional level seems like a far-fetched dream. Moreover, internal (state level) water hotspots that continue to grow and expand at an alarming rate are anticipated to trigger social unrest and migration challenges.

Some examples of countries and areas where internal water hotspots have been magnifying political, human and development challenges include Yemen, Jordan, Palestinian Territory, and the southern part of Iraq.

Water in MENA – A Factsheet

• Almost 4.5 % of the world’s population lives in the Middle East but they have only 1% of the global water resource availability.
• 60% of the population lives in areas affected by water shortages and 71% of GDP is produced in these areas.
• 12 out of the 17 most water-stressed countries in the World are in MENA.
• 18 out of 22 Arab States stand below the renewable water resources scarcity annual threshold of 1,000 m3 per capita, and 13 below the absolute water scarcity threshold of 500 m3 per capita per year.
• 60% of its population lives currently in areas of high-water stress, compared to the global average of 35%.

The Positive Side to Water Scarcity

When the concept of water diplomacy is put on the table, the MENA region forms a perfect multi-dimensional platform to bring such concept to practice as it embraces several examples of jointly held water resources. Water cooperation can bring countries together, build bridges between people, and avoid conflicts.

A positive side to severe water shortages in MENA is the endless potential for more innovation and cooperation for resilience and adaptation within the various water using sectors. The MENA region is acknowledging the water, energy, and food nexus as a key determining factor for the region’s wellbeing and prosperity. The COVID-19 pandemic is only confirming that and expediting action on a more synergetic approach for tackling energy, water, and food insecurities.

A resource that was once considered sacred by ancient civilizations is back in the scene with more emphasis on its value as a human right, economic enabler, and peace maker. Unlike many other development goals that may vary between oil-producing and non-oil producing countries, water security seems to be the common factor across the MENA region.

Undoubtedly, such potential for innovation and adaptation demands several enablers to be in place, including streamlined policy reforms, data and knowledge management, capacity development, infrastructure investments, private sector engagement, and community participation. Amidst all this, science remains a solid base that would fuel all enablers and ignite action, assuming that a multi-disciplinary and inter-connected approach is followed and optimized.

Green Careers – what are we missing in the educational system?

I was lucky enough to join the Green Careers booth at the International Youth Day celebrations in Irbid organised by USAID. The experience was rich as it made me realise how little environmentalists are doing to empower each other and to give hope to the new green generations. Young Engineering students already had pre expectations that the main challenge in their career is going to be unequal employment opportunities. I had to listen and try to change that perception while inside my head wondered what if that is really the case. After overcoming that first point, we started real talk about:
– the right attitude… What impression am I giving.
– how can I stay up to date with sector development and priorities (energy, environment and water).
– with over 112000 registered engineers in Jordan, how can I build my competitive edge.
– in the CV and during interview, how can I show my added value to the company.
– what would an employer like to see in my CV as a fresh graduate.
– does voluntary work count.

I know I wanted to keep doing this… And reach out to all those feeling its a curse to study green … If I can’t… We all can try though.