Lesson video

Hi geographers, my name's Miss Hoggett and I'm really excited you're here to learn some geography with me today.

I'm sure if you try your best, you're going to be absolutely fantastic.

Don't worry too much if you haven't studied this topic before.

I'm here to help you every step of the way.

The title of today's lesson is Rivers and Water Resources in the Middle East and this sits within the unit, The Middle East: how have natural resources changed the Middle East? Our outcome for today is that I can explain how rivers have shaped the Middle East and understand the challenge of managing water resources in the region.

To help us through today's lesson, there's a number of keywords that are going to be really useful to us: Gross domestic product, GDP, water scarcity, desalination, dam, and conflict.

Gross domestic product or GDP is the total value of all the goods and services within a location.

Water scarcity is when there are not enough fresh water resources to meet the needs in a given area.

Desalination is the process of removing salt from sea water.

Dam is a barrier constructed to hold back water.

And conflict is a strong disagreement between people or countries which may lead to fighting.

So gross domestic product or GDP, water scarcity, desalination, dam, and conflict are really useful terms that are going to really help us in today's lesson.

This lesson is split into three learning cycles: the importance of rivers in the Middle East, water scarcity in Jordan, and overcoming water scarcity.

We are going to start with our first learning cycle now: the importance of rivers in the Middle East.

Now the Middle East contains rivers which have supported life for thousands of years.

There are lots of different rivers.

But in today's lesson, we're going to focus on three of the really large ones: the River Nile, we've got the Tigris River, and we also have Euphrates River.

Which of these is not a river found in the Middle East? Is it A, the Euphrates; B, the Tigris; C, the Amazon; or D, the Nile? Pause the video and have a go at answering this question.

Well done if you said C, the Amazon.

We know that the Amazon is in South America, but the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the Nile are all rivers found in the Middle East.

So we'll start with our first one now then, the River Nile.

And the River Nile is 6,650 kilometres long.

It's the longest in the world and it flows through 11 countries in Africa before reaching the Mediterranean Sea in Northern Egypt.

Now, it's important to note that when we look at that map, it starts at the south of the map and flows north towards the Mediterranean Sea.

So it starts in Tanzania, then moves through Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, then enters the Democratic Republic of the Congo, then through Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, then Sudan, and lastly, it meets the sea in Egypt.

So it flows through 11 different countries.

The Nile brings water to the dry region and it's provided food and transport to ancient civilizations all the way through to modern day.

Today, 95% of Egyptians still live along it.

On the screen, Alex is telling us we can see a choropleth map showing how the population live near the water sources today.

We can see that the colours on the map represent different values.

So the darker the colour, the higher the value.

And we can see that over 100 people live per square kilometre all along the River Nile.

The Nile is also significant because it's shaped the landscape and it contains some really impressive physical features.

We can see on the screen that one of those physical features is a waterfall such as the Blue Nile falls in Ethiopia.

So we know it has some really fascinating landscapes that has really impacted the shape of the land in lots of different places.

Now, our other two really important rivers are the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers, and they flow through the heart of the Middle East.

We can see those located on the map on the screen.

Now, between these two rivers is a region that we call Mesopotamia.

And Jacob tells us that the name Mesopotamia means between rivers in Greek, so it's that area that sits between the Tigris and the Euphrates.

Mesopotamia is significant because it's been the home of many different civilizations who have developed European, Asian, and African culture in different ways.

These developments include some of the first writing, some of the first wheels, measuring time on a 24-hour day, and crop irrigation.

Now they're all things that we still do today, so we can see how significant the region was in terms of developing society.

On the screen, you can see a Mesopotamian contract for selling a field at a house.

Now we know that, obviously, writing has come a long way since then, but it's really key to see where we started in terms of our written communication.

So what's evident then is that these three rivers are really supporting life and really shaping the Middle East as a region.

They've supported life by providing water for farming, sanitation and drinking, providing fertile land to grow crops such as wheat and barley, providing flat land for the development of cities such as Babylon, and enabling transport and trade of goods.

So let's check your understanding.

What does Mesopotamia translate to in Greek? Is it A, around deserts; B, between mountains; or C, between rivers? Pause the video and have a go at answering this question.

Well done if you said C, between rivers.

We know that Mesopotamia is the area that sat between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers.

Well done, geographers.

So we are now going to practise what you've learned in learning cycle number one.

And the first thing I would like you to do is annotate the three key rivers onto your map.

I would then, for part two, like you to explain the importance of rivers in the Middle East.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be great.

But pause the video now and have a go at completing this practise task.

Well done for giving that a really good go, geographers.

Let's check your answers.

So as we can see on the map, we should have the River Nile, the Tigris River, and the Euphrates River all labelled really clearly onto our map.

And for part two, we needed to explain the importance of the rivers in the Middle East.

And so your answer might have included something to this effect: Rivers are extremely important in the Middle East because they have supported human life and civilization for thousands of years.

The biggest and most important rivers in the region are the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates.

The Nile River flows through 11 countries in Africa, and it's the longest river in the world.

The Nile provides a water source, which makes it possible for people to live and farm in the desert.

Every time the river floods, it leaves behind rich fertile soil that is perfect for growing crops like wheat, barley, cotton and potatoes.

The Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers are found in the region called Mesopotamia, which means between rivers.

Mesopotamia is home to some of the world's first cities and writing systems. The rivers gave the people of Mesopotamia water for farming, transport, and drinking.

Just like the Nile, they flood and leave behind fertile soil which helps crops grow.

The Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates Rivers were vital for early civilizations in the Middle East.

They provided water, food, and transport, and help people settle and build successful societies.

Without these rivers, places like Egypt and Mesopotamia might never have developed into such important historical civilizations.

Well done, geographers.

We've now finished with learning cycle one and we are ready to move on to learning cycle two: Water scarcity in Jordan.

Despite the three main rivers providing valuable water sources in some parts of the Middle East, vast areas of the region experience water scarcity.

Water scarcity is when there is not enough fresh water resources to meet the needs in a given area.

On the screen, we can see a map showing the places around the world experiencing water scarcity.

What we can see is that water scarcity is a problem in the Middle East, but let's pick that map in a little bit more detail.

Now the map is showing us yellow for stress, orange for stress and shortage, and red where there are areas of shortage.

So what is the difference between water shortage and water stress? Well, water shortage is when there isn't enough water available to meet everyone's basic needs like drinking, washing, farming, and industry.

Think of it as a physical lack of water, and it could happen in dry areas such as where we have deserts or in places when there's a drought.

For example, if a village only has one well and it dries up, that would be water shortage.

But on the other hand, water stress means there is enough water, so there's physically enough there, but it's being used too much or inefficiently or it's being polluted.

So it's not just about how much water there is, it's also about how it's managed.

Both water stress and water shortage can lead to there being water scarcity in a region.

And therefore, we can see on the map that the colour orange showing stress and shortage does dominate vast areas of the Middle East.

Now there are two types of water scarcity.

It could be economic water scarcity when countries have the fresh water that they need, but they just don't have the money to invest in the infrastructure in order to access it.

Or it could be physical water scarcity, which happens when countries don't have enough fresh water due to reasons such as climate and geology.

So true or false? Water scarcity does not affect any countries in the Middle East.

Pause the video and have a go at answering this question.

Well done for giving that a really good go.

The answer is false.

We saw on the map just a moment ago that the Middle East contains some of the most water-scarce countries in the world.

Well done for giving that a good go, geographers.

So one of the most water-scarce countries in the world is Jordan.

It's located 30 to 33 degrees north of the Equator in the Middle East.

It has a really small coastline to the south, which gives it access to the Gulf of Aqaba.

Now, Jordan doesn't have many large rivers or lakes, and it's also really arid, as it only receives around 100 millimetres of precipitation a year.

Jacob says, "Climate change is only going to make this worse, as it means that their current water source are declining due to increased temperatures." So we know that Jordan suffers with a really severe lack of water.

But to add to this, Jordan's population is rapidly increasing and we can see that on the graph on the screen.

Along our X-axis, we have the years starting at 1950 all the way to 2023.

And then up our Y-axis, we can see the amount of millions of people who live in Jordan.

Now this is largely due to refugees moving there from places such as Syria.

A refugee is somebody who has to move from where they originally came from due to conflict.

As a result, more fresh water is needed for agriculture, domestic use, and industry.

But we know this is a challenge because we already know that Jordan doesn't have huge amounts of water.

And if their population is growing and that demand is increasing, they're obviously going to find themselves in a bit of a sticky situation.

Jordan also has a gross domestic product or GDP of $50.

93 billion.

GDP is the total value of all goods and services within a location.

Now to compare this, we can look at the UK who has a GDP of $3.

38 trillion.

So we can see that the gross domestic product in Jordan is much lower than somewhere that we're familiar with.

Jun says, "Jordan's low GDP means they don't have enough money to maintain their water infrastructure." And Sam says, "76 billion litres of water a year are lost in Jordan due to leakage and old infrastructure." So they don't have the infrastructure they need to manage their water successfully, and this creates a further issue.

So therefore, Jordan experiences both economic and physical water scarcity.

True or false? Jordan experiences both physical and economic water scarcity.

Pause the video and have a go at answering this question Well done if you said true.

We know that due to its arid climate and its low GDP, Jordan experiences both physical and economic water scarcity.

Good work, geographers.

Now, water scarcity has big impacts on people's health.

A lack of clean water means that people can't wash properly or drink safely.

This can lead to diseases such as diarrhoea and skin infections.

And hospitals can struggle to cope with this as they also have a lack of water so they can't treat their patients sufficiently.

It also impacts on the environment as it can lead to drought.

Droughts happen when there is significantly less precipitation than expected for an area, and this can make it hard to grow crops or feed animals, which can then lead to food shortages and low income for farmers.

So there's social and further economic impacts within those statements.

Lastly, it can also lead to conflict.

Now, conflict is a strong disagreement between people or countries which may lead to fighting.

When fresh water is limited, people might fight over it.

Now Jordan shares its rivers and underground water with other countries such as Israel and Syria.

Tension arises over who has access to the water and how much they can have.

And so disagreements can occur, which can then escalate into large-scale conflict.

So we're going to practise what we've learned about Jordan and the water scarcity that they're facing there.

I would like you to use the phrases consequently, as a result, this means that, therefore, and so to develop each statement below to explain why water scarcity is a growing problem in Jordan.

So let's take a look at the statements.

Jordan gets approximately 110 millimetres of precipitation a year and it's marked 9th in the top 10 countries with the lowest precipitation, 2017.

The Jordanian population is increasing due to there being a large influx of refugees in places such as Syria.

And regular leaks from the sewage systems and industrial waste are polluting Jordan's rivers.

So using those phrases above, I would like you to develop each of those statements to explain why water scarcity is a growing problem for Jordan.

Good luck, geographers.

Well done for giving that a really good go.

Let's check your answers.

So for the first statement, we could have said: Jordan gets approximately 110 millimetres of precipitation a year and was ranked 9th in the world for the lowest precipitation in 2017.

This means that the country experiences physical water scarcity, which is likely to increase due to climate change.

For our second statement: The population is increasing due to there being a large influx of refugees from Syria.

Consequently, the demand for water is rising rapidly, putting increasing pressure on the already limited supply.

And lastly: Regular leaks from sewage systems and industrial waste are polluting Jordan's rivers.

Therefore, water supplies that are available have become contaminated and unsafe to use, reducing the available supply further.

Well done If you develop those statements.

Even if you did them in a slightly different way, providing you've used those statements to really explain those sentences, I'm sure you've done brilliantly.

We've now come to the end of learning cycle two and we're ready to have a think about learning cycle three: Overcoming water scarcity.

Now, there are different ways that people and governments can try to make sure that there's enough clean water for everybody now and in the future.

And people can use different strategies, some of the ones we're about to explore.

Our first strategy is dams and reservoirs.

Now a dam is a large wall built across a river and behind it sits a reservoir or an artificial lake.

And it helps with drier seasons, flood control, and the water can be used for things like drinking, farming, or energy.

Another example of a strategy is desalination, and this is a process that removes salt from sea water to make it safe to drink and it's useful in dry coastal areas.

However, it's really expensive and it can use a lot of energy.

Next, we have rainwater harvesting, and this is about collecting and storing rainwater from rooftops or surfaces.

It's a really easy and low-cost way to provide water for gardens, toilets, or washing.

We would use it for those reasons because it hasn't always been treated by the time we use it.

We also have water recycling and reuse, and this is about cleaning used water that comes from homes or industry so it can be used again.

So it is not always water that used for drinking, but it could be for farming toilets or factories.

And this helps save water, reduces pollution, and it's a little bit more sustainable.

Then we have education, which is teaching people about how to save water, avoid pollution, and use it more efficiently.

And lastly, we can invest in infrastructure.

This might involve improving pipes, pumps, treatment plants, and water systems, which is going to help reduce leaks, improve access, and ensure that that water that is there can reach everybody.

So as we can see, there are lots of different strategies to increase water supply in and around the country.

Some of these strategies have been rolled out successfully in different places across the Middle East.

So which of these strategies is not a strategy to increase water supply? Is it A, desalination; B, education; C, water recycling; or D, fixing leaking taps? Pause the video and have a go at answering this question.

Well done if you said D, fixing leaking taps.

We know that desalination, education, and water recycling are strategies to increase water supply.

Good work, geographers.

Now we're going to focus in on a few of those strategies that have been used successfully in different areas across the Middle East.

And the first is a dam reservoir.

Now a dam is a barrier constructed to hold back water and behind this forms a reservoir or an artificial lake.

Now this has both positives and negatives.

So the positives include that they store water that people can use for their homes, farms, and factories, and they help prevent flooding.

They can also generate renewable electricity such as through hydroelectric power that we see created through those dams, and they support farming by providing water in the dry seasons.

So there are some real strengths of using a dam and reservoir.

However, they also come with some negatives or some challenges, and the first one being that they are really expensive to build, so money has to be invested in order to make this work.

They can force people and animals to leave an area.

So when they are constructed, the people who live nearby are going to have to move.

They, therefore, disrupt wildlife and they can interrupt water flow downstream.

If we put a big barrier in a river, it's going to reduce that flow later on.

So we have to be mindful about how it interrupts that water flow.

An example of a dam in reservoir in the Middle East is the Ataturk Dam in Turkiye.

It is built on the Euphrates River and it was designed to improve life in the southeast of Turkiye.

The dam creates a large reservoir that stores water.

The water is therefore used for farming and increases the local income for farmers.

However, some people had to move when the dam was constructed and it reduces water flowing downstream to other countries.

This has therefore created some conflict.

So looking at that example, we can see that there are some opportunities.

Farmers are increasing their income and it's storing water for the local populations.

However, it is creating some conflict.

So true or false? A reservoir blocks water flow, and a dam is an artificial lake that forms behind a reservoir.

Pause the video and have a go at answering that question.

Well done if you said false.

We know that a dam is a barrier constructed to hold back water, and a reservoir is an artificial lake that forms behind a dam.

So the statement had them the wrong way around, but well done if you got that correct.

So another strategy for increasing water supply is desalination.

This is the process of removing salt from sea water.

Jacob says, "Over 75% of the world's desalinated water comes from the Middle East, and Saudi Arabia is the biggest producer of it." Pause the video now and have a read through of the diagram which shows how the desalination process works.

Now, desalination can have lots of benefits.

It can provide clean water in places with very little rainfall or fresh water.

It's useful in droughts when rivers and reservoirs are low.

And it can help support growing populations in dry environments.

So there are lots of strengths of desalination.

However, there can also be some real big drawbacks.

Building and running desalination plants is very expensive.

It can use a lot of energy, which often has to come from fossil fuels.

And lastly, the leftover salt, something we call brine, is often put back into the sea, which can then have a negative impact and harm that marine life.

So yes, there are strengths, but there are also disadvantages or negatives as well.

So we're going to have a think about whether or not this is going to be useful for Jordan.

And you have a statement on the screen that says: Desalination would be the best way for Jordan to increase its water supply.

I want to know to what extent you agree with that statement, and I'd like you to write an extended answer to respond to that.

You are going to need to draw on everything you've learned in learning cycle two and three in order to help you with this statement.

Alex says, remember to discuss: the positives of desalination, the negatives of desalination, alternative strategies to desalination, that's really important, and then provide your opinion.

So you can use that as a structure to help you when writing your answer.

Good luck, geographers.

Well done forgiving that a really good go.

Now, it's likely that you've written this in a slightly different way to me, but let's have a look at how you could have structured your answers.

I partly agree that desalination would be a good way for Jordan to increase its water supply.

Desalination is useful because Jordan is an arid country with little rainfall and few rivers.

By removing salt from sea water, desalination provides clean, safe water for drinking and farming.

It is also a reliable source of water, especially during droughts, and the growing population of Jordan can have access to enough water.

However, desalination has some big disadvantages.

It's very expensive to build and run desalination plants.

This could be problematic in Jordan as they have a low GDP.

It also uses a lot of energy, which can be harmful for the environment if the energy comes from fossil fuels, and the wastewater, called brine, can damage marine life if it's not handled properly.

This presents some significant environmental concerns which can add to conflict as Jordan shares its water sources with other countries such as Syria and Israel.

Another strategy Jordan could consider is building dams and reservoir like Turkiye's at Ataturk Dam on the Euphrates River.

This helps store water for irrigation and electricity and supports farming and jobs.

Jordan could build smaller dams to collect and store rain water during the wet season.

This would be cheaper and better for the environment, although it depends on having enough rain, which Jordan doesn't always get.

In conclusion, I think desalination is a good idea for Jordan, but it should be used alongside other strategies like dams and water storage.

This would be a more sustainable and balanced way to solve the country's water problems. Well done for having a really good go at that answer, geographers.

I know that was a big question, but I'm sure you've done brilliantly.

We've now come to the end of today's lesson looking at rivers and water resources in the Middle East.

So to summarise what we've learned, the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates Rivers are important in the Middle East.

Water availability is uneven across the Middle East.

Some countries such as Jordan experience water scarcity due to economic factors and their physical geography.

Water scarcity can have health impacts, cause conflict, and damage the environment.

And there are strategies to increase water supply such as building dams and reservoirs and desalinating water.

You've been brilliant today, geographers, and I think you've worked really, really hard.

Well done, I really hope to see you soon in our next lesson.