Assessing Water Scarcity: A Global Concern on World Water Day.
Seven out of the 10 most water-stressed nations are in the Middle East and North Africa, with an average water stress level of 820 percent. Water stress levels across the region have more than doubled from 8,411 percent in 1987 to 16,422 percent in 2017. Rising temperatures, increased demand for water, and the construction of dams have led to several lakes shrinking across the Middle East, including Lake Urmia in Iran and Lake Sawa in Iraq. The United Nations designates March 22 as World Water Day to measure the world's progress towards providing everyone with clean, accessible, and affordable water.