The Middle East: a region of low rainfall and numerous populatione

The Middle East has characteristics that are found in all countries of the region, and in most of its landscapes: shortage of rain and general aridity.
To this dryness is added, aggravating the environmental conditions, the occurrence of high and very high temperatures, particularly during the summer season.
In almost the entire region, rainfall is minimal. Even in very populous cities where water needs are important, average rains are usually very scarce.
In Cairo, capital of Egypt, which has 20 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, it rains 24.7 mm per year, while in Luxor, a city in southern Egypt with 250,000 inhabitants, it almost never rains (0.5 mm). Besides Cairo, six other capitals have very few rains: Riyadh in Saudi Arabia (61 mm), Baghdad in Iraq (122.8 mm), Damascus in Syria (131.8 mm) and Amman in Jordan (269.3) or scarce: Tehran in Iran (429 mm) and Ankara in Turkey (402.2 mm) ..
In many other major cities the rainfall does not reach 500 mm: Basra and Mosul in Iraq (152 mm and 363.6 mm respectively), Alexandria in Egypt (196 mm), Jeddah in Saudi Arabia (61 mm), Aleppo in Syria (328.8) mm) and Ahvaz, Shiraz and Mashhad in Iran (209.2, 305.6 mm and 251.5 mm).
The lack of rain affects agricultural production. Rainfed agriculture is difficult due to the extension of periods of drought. Most of the countries in the region depend on irrigation. In particular, in Egypt and Iraq, which are important agricultural producers, almost all of the crops are irrigated. They also depend on irrigation agriculture Jordan, Syria and Afghanistan. In Turkey, Iran and Lebanon, where there are restricted areas with somewhat more important rainfall, irrigated agriculture remains a fundamental element of their agricultural production.
Lack of water is also experienced in urban areas, which often see their water sources contaminated or depleted. The local rivers and streams are more easily contaminated due to the large population that inhabit their shores. Due to the limited rains in their recharge zones and excessive pumping the aquifers depress their levels or become salty.
From "Land of little rain and lots of blood", Danilo Antón, Piriguazú Ediciones.