What Are Some Countries with Water Scarcity?

Countries with water scarcity include Qatar, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, United Arab Emirates, San Marino, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Oman and Botswana. These countries are ranked as those with “extremely high baseline water stress,” according to the World Resource Institute (WRI).[1] They aren’t the only countries facing this situation, but they are the worst by far. Of these, the Middle East and Northern Africa are the top water-stressed areas in the world.[2]

“The region is hot and dry, so water supply is low to begin with, but growing demands have pushed countries further into extreme stress,” WRI reported.[3] The less water a country has, the more it impacts their economic health.

In places like south Asia, weather, demand and infrastructure are the biggest stressors to the availability of water. Irrigation for crops puts an incredible draw on both ground water and other water supplies.[4] In the face of these kinds of stresses, the whole world should be called on to use water responsibly, as well as support the technologies that are already available and the technologies that need to be developed to relieve the pressure so many billions are facing.[5]

In places like the countries mentioned above, one of the best solutions to the lack of clean drinking water is to drill down to unused groundwater that is safe from pollution and natural disasters and drought. GFA World’s Jesus Wells have been created with this in mind.

GFA missionaries work with villages and observe what their most pressing needs are. When a Jesus Well is approved for a village, a local contractor is hired to do the drilling, which helps keep costs down. Then the well is drilled as deep as necessary to provide clean water year-round, even in times of drought. The local congregation commits to the upkeep of the well, which can be maintained for decades.


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