The Mediterranean - Water consumption
Water scarcity and water stress
978-3-14-100890-6 | Page 107 | Ill. 3
Overview
This map focusses on the water balance in the Mediterranean, which describes the difference between the water available for consumption and the water that is actually consumed per inhabitant and year. Additionally, the annual water usage of every Mediterranean country can be found on the map. This is connected with the water supply and management in the Mediterranean and exemplified by agriculture and tourism in Spain on the other maps and diagrams on this page (see 106.1, 106.4, 106.5, 107.6).
Water consumption in the Mediterranean
Water consumption in the Mediterranean region varies from country to country. Countries such as Portugal, Greece or Syria consume a particularly large amount of water per capita, which the size of the circle on the map shows. This contrasts with Israel, Jordan, and Malta, for example, who only use a comparatively small amount of water per capita. The distribution of water also varies in the areas of agriculture, private households, and industry. It is striking that on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, which largely belongs to the northern part of Africa, most of the water of the individual countries is used for agriculture (to varying degrees). Agriculture is also the focus of water consumption in some countries in southern Europe, including Portugal, Spain, Italy, Albania, Greece, Georgia, and Turkey. This can be explained by the large agricultural share of the economy due to the favourable climate conditions around the Mediterranean Sea. Other parts of Europe, which are a little further north, focus on industry, which is why this sector uses the most water.
However, the water consumption must also be seen in connection with the water supply from map 106.1. Since the Mediterranean region is affected by water scarcity and varying rainfall (see 106.2), not every country can ensure enough water for consumption. This then results in the water balance shown in this map. The map especially highlights the differences between the countries. European countries such as Italy or Spain tend to have a positive water balance on average. Eastern Europe does particularly well. Hungary and Romania, for example, have surpluses of around 10,000 m3. The situation is different on the southern shores of the Mediterranean. Here, the water balance of most countries is rather negative. While Morocco, Algeria and Syria still have slightly positive values, their neighbouring countries are worse off. Libya and Saudi Arabia in particular stand out negatively. Connected with the water consumption, countries with a focus on industry instead of agriculture seem to have a more positive water balance than countries that mainly use water for agricultural purposes. This can also be seen in map 106.4, which highlights the high water usage of intensive agriculture in Western Almeria, Spain as a representative of the Mediterranean region.
