Question

geography of the mideast
water is a major natural resource that is distributed unevenly across southwest asia. some countries like turkey and iraq, have major rivers which provide an ample (more than enough) supply for their farming communities needs. these two countries share the tigris and euphrates river. israel, syria, and jordan share the jordan river; however, saudi arabia, to their south, has no access to freshwater. due to the regions water scarcity (lack of), those wishing to farm or raise livestock must develop a means of irrigation. some examples of this include:

• tapping into underground aquifers, which are layers of underground rock where water runoff from rains and streams is trapped;
• drilling wells deep into the earth in order to reach fossil water, which has been underground for centuries;
• digging canals, which are underground tunnels that bring water from the hills to the dry plains;
• using drip irrigation to limit water waste and to precisely calculate exactly how much water each plant needs;
• removing salt from seawater through a process called desalination in order to make it drinkable.
• these last two are expensive processes.

all countries in southwest asia have worked to modernize their systems of agriculture, but water pollution is a growing problem. increased demand for irrigation to expand farming has led to over - use of rivers and streams, depleting (using up) this vital natural resource. many farmers have begun to use chemical fertilizers which contaminate freshwater sources when they runoff into rivers and streams. constant planting and fertilizer use have led to the build - up of sediment levels in the soil as well, which eventually make it impossible to farm. rapid expansion of cities and industries have led to garbage and sewage issues polluting local water sources.
access to clean, freshwater is a major source of conflict in southwest asia, especially among countries that share a river system. dams built along a river to create lakes for irrigation and the production of hydroelectricity (electricity produced from the energy of running water) in one country reduce the amount of water available to other countries located further downstream.
southwest asia has a number of large deserts, including the syrian desert in syria and iraq and the rub al - khali (or \empty quarter\) in southern saudi arabia. these areas have historically provided the region with natural barriers against invasion; however, they have also made human habitation (where we live) and survival difficult. an example of southwest asias desert inhabitants are the bedouins. they are a nomadic (wandering) people who live in tent camps, herd sheep and camels, and make their living by trading animals and making handmade goods to sell.
the countries of southwest asia have a very hot and dry climate (long term weather conditions). even though the region is surrounded by the mediterranean sea, the red sea, the arabian gulf, and the indian ocean, mountain ranges close to its coastal areas block the rains coming from these bodies of water. with so little rainfall, many people in southwest asia practice subsistence agriculture - growing smaller crops to supply their personal and local needs only - and live near the regions major freshwater sources.

Explanation:

The text discusses water - a natural resource in Southwest Asia, including its distribution, scarcity solutions like accessing aquifers and desalination, pollution issues, and how water access causes conflict. It also covers the region's deserts, nomadic people, climate, and subsistence agriculture. All these elements are related to the geographical study of the Middle - East.

Answer:

Water is a major natural resource that is distributed unevenly across Southwest Asia. Some countries like Turkey and Iraq, have major rivers which provide an ample (more than enough) supply for their farming communities' needs. These two countries share the Tigris and Euphrates River System. Israel, Syria, and Jordan share the Jordan River; however, Saudi Arabia, to their south, has no access to freshwater. Due to the region's water scarcity (lack of), those wishing to farm or raise livestock must develop a means of irrigation. Some examples of this include:

• Tapping into underground aquifers, which are layers of underground rock where water runoff from rains and streams is trapped;
• Drilling wells deep into the earth in order to reach fossil water, which has been underground for centuries;
• Digging qanats, which are underground tunnels that bring water from the hills to the dry plains;
• Using drip irrigation to limit water waste and to precisely calculate exactly how much water each plant needs;
• Removing salt from seawater through a process called desalination in order to make it drinkable. These last two are expensive processes.

All countries in Southwest Asia have worked to modernize their systems of agriculture, but water pollution is a growing problem. Increased demand for irrigation to expand farming has led to over - extraction of rivers and streams, depleting (using up) this vital natural resource. Many farmers have begun to use chemical fertilizers which contaminate freshwater sources when they runoff into rivers and streams. Constant planting and fertilizer use have led to the build - up of sediment levels in the soil as well, which eventually make it impossible to farm. Rapid expansion of cities and industries have led to garbage and sewage issues polluting local water sources.

Access to clean, freshwater is a major source of conflict in Southwest Asia, especially among countries that share a river system. Dams built along a river to create lakes for irrigation and the production of hydroelectricity (electricity produced from the energy of running water) in one country reduce the amount of water available to other countries located further downstream.

Southwest Asia has a number of large deserts, including the Syrian Desert in Syria and Iraq and the Rub al - Khali (or “Empty Quarter”) in southern Saudi Arabia. These areas have historically provided the region with natural barriers against invasion; however, they have also made human habitation (where we live) and survival difficult. An example of Southwest Asia's desert inhabitants are the Bedouins. They are a nomadic (wandering) people who live in tent camps, herd sheep and camels, and make their living by trading animals and making handmade goods to sell.

The countries of Southwest Asia have a very hot and dry climate (long term weather conditions). Even though the region is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean, mountain ranges close to its coastal areas block the rains coming from these bodies of water. With so little rainfall, many people in Southwest Asia practice subsistence agriculture - growing smaller crops to supply their personal and local needs only - and live near the region's major freshwater sources.