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The Arabian Peninsula is characterized by an arid climate with annual
rainfall of less than 100 mm. There are no reliable surface water supplies.
The subregion depends entirely on groundwater and desalination plants
to meet its water requirements. Large increases in demand have placed
the meagre resources available under increasing pressure. The Mashriq
sub-region is mostly arid and semi-arid. About 70 per cent of the sub-region
receives less than 250 mm of rain a year. The Mashriq has two shared rivers
originating outside the area, the Euphrates and Tigris, and many smaller
ones. Agreements or understandings about how to share these water resources
have been reached among Arab countries but agreements over the Euphrates
are yet to materialize between Iraq and Syria on one side and Turkey on
the other.
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