Assuring Water Security in the MNA Region: Options and Opportunities

Vijay Jagannathan
Sector Manager for Water and Environment
Water, Environment, Social and Rural Development Department
Middle East and North Africa Region
World Bank

Abstract
The paper will explore how water policies and institutional arrangements could promote economic growth with environmental sustainability in the MNA Region. It will first look at key water challenges in the MNA Region including the role of the agriculture sector today in the national economy, the level of public expenditures on water infrastructure and the impact of investments on irrigation services, domestic and industrial consumption as well as environmental conservation and protection. It will finally recommend a few options for the future, stressing the importance of the political and institutional dimensions of water policy reforms, based on the twin governance principles of inclusiveness and accountability.