Water and Food Security The GCC Countries

Abstract

Water and food security has become mantra of every government around the globe, especially in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Arab World. Both are key strategic assets for human survival on the planet and effective tool of achieving micro or macro socio-economic goals around the globe and Arabian Gulf is not any exemption. From ancient civilizations to modern times of to-day, water and food has had been remained driving force for collabo- ration, integration and socio-economic development. It has been one of main reasons for stability, sustainability, peace, and the last but not the least green revolutions throughout the human history.
Many civilization, states, societies, tribes and groups have been rising and falling with the rapprochement of water and food issues. It has had been mentioned in many sacred ancient prophecies, fairy- tales, fictions, poems and even in novels. So, water and food has multiplier effects on us.
With the passage of time, water and food the two strategic assets have been endangered due to many socio-economic, geo-poetical and geo-strategic conflicting realities. There is fear among the intellectuals, researchers, economists and political gurus that third world war may be fought on the issue of water in the future which has directly linked with the food production. too. It is feared that the increasing scarcity of water and food supplies may produce multi-dimensional serious problems in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Caucasus regions and Arabian Gulf.
Many countries in the region especially, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have already initiated many but integrated diversified policies/programs to cope this emerging serious problem.
Population growth, increasing income per capita, and rapid urbanization are the main demand factors driving water and food problems in the GCC countries. Global water consumption is doubling every 20 years, more than twice rate of human population growth whereas the amount of water in the world is finite and same is true with the production of water and food too. The number of us is growing fast and our water and food usage is growing even faster.
Easy and smooth supply of water and food are interconnected and interrelated precious commodities in free market arena. The rising levels of poverty, hunger, and even unemployment are directly or indirectly related to declining levels of water and decreasing production of food corps around the globe.
Drinking water and irrigation water has become a rare commodity in world. Water has become as precious as oil and is increasingly emerging as a conflicting economic reality and as a destabilizing factor for international peace and regional stability. Water and food supplies may be protected and shared by trust.
In this research paper, significance of water and food will be dis- cussed with special reference of the GCC countries. Certain conditions, reasons and remedies will also be spelled out.
INTRODUCTION
Water Security in the GCC Countries
Water is life. It is endangered. It has now been labeled as blue gold due to its precious nature. It has multiplier effect on different sectors of production and survival. It has been intertwined with human health, energy, environment and the last but not the least, socio-economic development.

In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries comprising of (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), natural water have reached to zero level where as the per capita consumption of the water is among the highest in the world. The expected collective investments in the field of water may reach to $10 billion during 2011- 2012 in the GCC countries.
According to different reports globally, only 2.5 percent is fresh water. Many experts are feared that water would be the most critical natural resource issue facing most parts of the world by the start in this century.
Global water supply and demand balance has been disturbed due to massive rural/urban migration, sever climate change and pollution. Demand is outperforming supply. 40 percent of the world’s 6.9 billion people do not have easy access to water. The United Nation estimates that 2.7 billion people will face water scarcity by 2025. Recent research results show that countries in the GCC region will face serious water scarcity by 2050.

Water is a vital element to the GCC region for food, energy, economic growth and so much more. Middle East is made up of 22 Arab countries, account for 6.3 percent of the world’s population, but only 1.4 percent of its fresh water supply. The GCC countries are amongst the most arid in the world. The most of the region is debarred of rivers. Most of the natural water supply comes from groundwater and shallow or deep aquifers, and is being extracted at a rate far outpacing its natural replenishment. While the recharge of GCC aquifers takes place at an annual rate of 4.8 million cubic meters (mn cu ms), the amount extracted by GCC countries in 2007 was around 19.5mn cu ms.
Countries like Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia yield Countries like Bahrain, Qatar, annual per capita freshwater resources of approximately 100 cubic meters; as whereas the inter nationally recognized minimal amount of water required per person per year is 1,000 cubic meters.

Highest Per Capita Water Consumption
Due to complete subsidization of high valued/priced water desalinization programs for individual house- holds has led to the highest per capita water consumption levels in the world in the GCC countries Saudi Arabia was found to consume 91 percent more than the global average of water consumption. while the UAE consumed 83 per cent more about six times more than that used in the UK. In Kuwait per capita water use has now doubled that of the United State in recent years. Qatari residents currently consume 675 litres of water per capita per day, approximately twice the average EU consumption.

Dependency on External Resources (%)
According to Q4 Water report the UAE (2012), Abu Dhabi, the world’s most spendthrift water use will run out of its ancient fossil water reserves in 40 years. Saudi Arabian water demand is expected to double again in 20 years as power demand surges as much as 10 percent a year.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) estimates that this dependence will worsen in years to come, with Kuwait, for example, predicted to have as little as twenty litres of natural freshwater per capita per day available to its residents in 2025, an amount well below the World Bank’s water scarcity bench- mark of 2,700 litres per capita per day. UN Water Report, the GCC is expected to expand its populace over five-fold between 2005 and 2050), increasing urbanization, rising temperatures, improvements in the standard of living and the growth of tourism will produce an exponential rise in local water consumption in the coming decades.
Water desalination, the removal of salt from seawater to make drinking water, has played a large part in the region’s usage excesses. Some two-thirds of water used in the region is desalinated, costing $1 per cubic meter to produce and consuming eight times more energy than groundwater projects. It has accounted for ten to 20 percent energy consumption.
UAE and especially, Abu Dhabi shows great commitment for new desalination capacity. To meet the challenge, large-scale dual purpose power/desalination plants are built to reduce the cost of production of electricity and water. According to new MEED Insight report GCC Wastewater 2009, sewage treatment capacity will have to more than double over the next six years. High ratios of populations demand the greater desalinization capacity in GCC countries by 90 percent before 2019.
Saudi Arabia spent over $17 billion on new desalination plants in 2008 alone and is expected to spend another $50 billion USD in the next ten years in order to meet its water demand. Qatar recently embarked on plans to build a QAR10 billion ($2.75 billion) freshwater reservoir.
According to Arab Water Academy (2011), a giga-watt (GW) of energy produced by oil and gas generates 700 and 460 tonnes of carbon dioxide respectively. In comparison, the same amount of energy produced by solar energy releases just 17 tonnes of carbon dioxide. So, a regional desalination networks and fresh water reservoirs and common use of alternative energy are must for the GCC countries.

Desalination and local environment
Desalination inherently poses a significant threat to the local environment which is given below as:
(a) It contributes significantly to air pollution due to its extremely energy intensive nature.
(b) It concentrates and chemical discharges to the marine environment.
(c) It subsequently steady increases in water temperatures.
(d) It increases salinity which is one of the most obvious environmental threats associated with the process of desalination in the Gulf.
(e) It decrease local biodiversity and severely harms the ecosystem.

GCC Countries and Water Scarcity
Due to massive population growth and urbanization municipal and industrial water will double and triple over next years. Depletion of non-renewable groundwater, pollution, salt-water intrusions, is common. Moreover, conflicts on shared water are higher than anywhere in the world.
GCC countries have limited water supplies of variable quality. With 5 per cent of the world’s population and only 1 per cent of global freshwater water resources, the Arab region is heavily affected by water scarcity and heavily dependent on non-conventional water resources such as desalination and treated wastewater. The collective water shortage of 17 Arab countries is currently estimated at over 30 billion cubic metres and this deficit is expected to triple by 2030 and increase to over 150 billion cubic metres by 2050, the Arab Water Academy in Abu Dhabi.
The supply and demand gap is widening day by day due to blooming population in the region. Lack of a comprehensive strategy for water resources, fragmented institutional framework and the last but not the least, limited enforcement of legislation to protect water resources are some of the important policy flaws in these countries.

Irrigation and Agricultural Water Use
Agriculture, which generally uses groundwater, uses a lion’s share of total conventional water use. In Qatar, this share is practically 100 percent. Qatar will use solar energy to desalinate the water needed for the increase in agricultural production.

Around 85 percent of total freshwater usage in the GCC is for agriculture, the highest in the world. From 1980-1999. Saudi Arabia has exhausted two-thirds of its non-renewable freshwater in order to maintain an indigenous farming sector at very high cost.
The kingdom had to pay $500 a ton for domestically produced wheat, when the international market rates Joint Water Grid (Treatment Water) About 95 percent of the world’s were around $120 a ton. Although cities still dump raw sewage into their waters. All the GCC countries waste water is treated and dump has helped to desalination enhance water availability, this option has proven to be too expensive for agricultural use. Even a method involving selective cultivation of crops, though more water- efficient, cannot satisfy overall consumer needs in these countries.

Water Storage Capacity and Different Programs
Presently, in all the GCC countries, many small and mega water projects are being carried which are given below as:

Joint Water Grid (Treatment Water)
About 95 percent of the world’s were around $120 a ton. Although cities still dump raw sewage into their waters. All the GCC countries waste water is treated and dump has helped to desalination enhance water availability, this option has proven to be too expensive for agricultural use. Even a method involving selective cultivation of crops, though more water- efficient, cannot satisfy overall consumer needs in these countries. Bahrain Kuwait into the sea which is just waste of the resources. All the GCC countries should develop common water grid, make desert green and provide this water for agriculture. Treated waste water is flow into single pipeline and supplied across the desert to make it green and agriculture land. It would be one of the most beneficial options.

According to the Abu Dhabi Q4 Water report (2012), the ambitious GCC water grid project, costing $4 billion with all six GCC governments as shareholders, was put on hold after its feasibility study in Q4 2010. The plan was to build a pan-GCC water network to enable the six states to trade potable water in both normal and emergency situations.

Moreover the Abu Dhabi Moreover, Declaration issued by the 31st Summit of the Supreme Council of the GCC further links water security with energy and food security, and calls for collaborative action to change regional water consumption patterns.

The high cost of water production compels governments to minimise their water wastage and reduce excessive groundwater mining, which in the case of the UAE represents as much as 70.9 per cent of total groundwater withdrawal. Existing regional waste- water treatment facilities can only recycle around 75 per cent of urban and industrial waste. Pollution from the remaining waste- water poses a significant health hazard by contaminating local groundwater aquifers.

New World Water Map
The World Bank reports that 80 countries now have water shortages that threaten health and economies while 40 percent of the world more than 2 billion people have no access to clean water or sanitation.

Saudi Arabia rated worst in GCC for water security. Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries have performed badly in a new index that rates the supply of fresh clean water to societies and businesses. All the GCC nations were ranked as having “high risk, with Saudi Arabia the worst in 23rd place. Kuwait was ranked at 24th, with Oman (33). the UAE (39) and Qatar (41).

Concept of Virtual or Hidden Water
Tony Allen was coined these terms in 1990. It refers to the amount of water that is used in the production of a good or a service. For instance, there are 1,300 liters of hidden water in 1 kg of wheat, while there are 3.400 liters of hidden water in 1 kg of rice and an astronomical 15,000 liters of hidden water in just 1 kg of beef. The growing freshwater shortage has motivated affluent nations in the Middle East to find ‘hidden water in other countries.

Strategies
(a) Think globally, act locally by slowing population growth, drastic reduction of pollution, better supply and demand of avail- able water resources along with water conservation
(b) Declare water security a national interest by gradually imposing reasonable tariffs (e.g. Egypt, the Alexandria Water Company introduced a clever tariff system, the and Water Dubai Electricity Authority introduced a slab tariff system a few years ago. The more water people consume, the higher the slab category they fall into, resulting in a higher cost for water).
(c) Paradigm shift is immediately needed in irrigation system especially use of freshwater in agriculture sector in these countries.
(d) Introduction of modern irrigation techniques, plastic greenhouses, better crop rotation and other up- to-date technology and practices.
(e) Launch of massive public campaigns about the importance of water, and its optimal utility through education.
(f) Bring healthy changes in eating (lesser rice) and the lifestyles (say no to swimming polls).
(g) Develop local food stuff (drought resistant) as these will reduce the need for water.
(h) Develop ecological agriculture adaptable to climate change conditions.
(i) Provide financial support to protect the interests of farmers and increase their active participation.
(j) Improve the development of new technologies in the agricultural sector.
(k) Develop hybrid crop varieties that use less water to produce the same amounts.
(l) Instead of looking at investments in major exporter nations such as the US, the EU and Australia, the GCC has tended to focus on countries that are geo- graphically close to the GCC.
(m) Desalination drive must be generated through alternative energy mix with dual purpose.
(n) More focus should be on fish farms, a mangrove plantation and fields to produce Salicornia, a crop which is also known as samphire, a salad-like vegetable often served with fresh fish. (at a advance stage in UAE, Masdar institute of Science and Technology).
The degree of wastefulness is both costly and environmentally dangerous. Governments must tackle this problem through a comprehensive strategy which is given below as:

Sweden is the prime example introduced many diversified but integrated public awareness, education along with administrative measures to reduce the wastage of water which can also be achieved in the GCC states.

Food Security in the GCC Countries
Famous British critic George Orwell (1920) studied that we may find in the long run that tinned food is a deadlier weapon than the machine- gun.” In today arena, food security has become a critical issue for many countries around the globe and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) comprising of (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) is no exception.
Food security is one of the Gulf region’s most serious challenges in the future especially since the region is highly reliant on imported food. Supply and demand law is at work.
Climate change will have a direct impact on agricultural production and the availability of water, while its indirect impact includes higher prices for imported foods and changes in the cost of energy and agricultural inputs.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are one of the most water scarce in the world, with only 1.4 percent of land suitable for agriculture. The deadly combination of both, forced it to import 90 per- cent of its food products. According and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Arab world imports more than 50 percent of the food consumed and are the largest net importer of cereal in the world, larger than Asia. Moreover, 31 mil- lion of hungry people live in the Arab countries, which translate to 10 percent of the total population.

According Economist Intelligence Unit (2011), the value of food imports to the GCC countries will more than double over the next decade. Total GCC food imports will reach $53.1 billion by 2020, an increase of 105 percent from 2010 ($25.8). Moreover, according to Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), food consumption in the GCC will reach 51.5 million tons per year during this period.
The below table clearly shows that the GCC countries have little agriculture land for cultivation and food production.

Countries in the Cooperation Council (GCC) Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Qatar and Bahrain are becoming increasingly concerned about their food security because low production levels, resulting from the regions arid climate, heat, and soil salinity, is combining with rising demand. Indeed, the Gulf population is expected to double between 2000 and 2030 and increased tourism and per capita income will lead to food consumption growing at a rate of 4.6 per- cent annually from 2011-2015.
Food forms a large part of household budgets and the consumer price index in the GCC. In 2007-08 when globe confronted sever food increase, the countries of GCC also badly affected and the following given table con- firms it. The UN food agency expects food prices to stay volatile in 2012 and more people to go hungry.
Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), stresses that population growth, increasing income per capita, and rapid urbanization. are the main demand factors driving food imports into the GCC region. Its population growing at three times the global average. Water and food security therefore are of prime concerns and major challenges for the regional governments. The Gulf Research Center in Dubai says “food security in the Gulf increased its importance in 2009, as the world saw a big commodity boom and food cost hikes, coupled with an increase in export restrictions by trading partners.
According to latest Food Security Risk Index (2011), which is given below that due to inadequate of food production and supplies, mil- lions of people are getting poorer and poorer around the globe. Africa, Asia and Middle East are the main areas of concerns. Food is the ultimate security need, new map shows, given below:

Moreover, the GCC countries and Arab World confronted high food prices in 2007-2009 which can easily be judged from the given graphs.
One of the important factors in the phenomenal increase of GCC food security is its rapid population growth. According to EIU (2011). GCC has an annual population growth of more than 2 percent while global population rises only 1.1 per cent. By 2020 the GCC population is forecast to rise by 30% over the level in 2000 to reach 53.5 million.
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says that More than half the increase will come from Saudi Arabia, by far the largest and most populated member of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). By the end of 2020, the combined population of the six members is projected to peak at nearly 46.193 million to reach around 50.8 million at the end of 2025 and 65.5 million in 2050.
Economic analysts and experts are of the views that the world’s major threats of population growth, climate change and natural disasters, which have led to food shortage and an increase in food prices, will consequently endanger food security in the Arabian Gulf. The issue of food security in the GCC countries has become alarming with the rapid growth in global population, harsh climatic changes and natural disasters that have affected food exporting countries especially those in East Asia.
Another reason for the food demand in the Arabian Gulf and the GCC is the growing tourism industry. According to UAE Economic Ministry (2011), in 2010, the UAE was visited by approximately 11.6 million tourists. And growing flight networks and local airlines have also boosted the demand coming from the in-flight catering industry.
The World Bank Food price index (2012), shows that there has been a 25 per cent increase in prices between last September and this year. According to the FAO’s Food Price Index, prices of all commodity groups rose in January 2012. Oils increased the most at 3 per cent, followed closely by cereals up 2.3 per cent and sugar 2.3 per cent.
The report Rising Temperatures, Rising Tensions (2009) was noticed the correlation between the issue of climate change and food production in the Arabian Gulf. Later reports, such as that by the Arab Forum for Environment and Development, have also examined the linkages between food production and climate change. All these factors together led o raising average food prices by 30- 40 percent, amid expectations that prices will continue to increase at record levels over the next five years.
According to the most recent IMF Regional Economic Outlook (2011), GCC experienced inflation rise to 5.3 percent in 2011 from 3.2 percent last year, and the key driver of headline inflation was food prices.”

Food Security for Gulf Cooperation Council Countries
Globally many declarations 1.02 million have been signed and agreed but still we have food shortages which are increasing ratios of poverty. hunger and employment around the globe. Few famous declarations are given below as:
Rome Declaration on global food security (1996), the Riyadh Declaration on enhancing Arab cooperation to face world food crises (2008), the Declaration of the World Summit on Food Kuwait Security (2009), the Declaration at the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit (2009) and the decisions of the the Islamic Organization Conference on food security and agricultural development. The paths to solutions require not only appropriate policies, institutional reforms, and adequate investments, but also filling the gap from knowledge to implementation.
The following diagrams indicate that the GCC countries experienced silent tsunami in shape of rapid upward increase in food stuffs in 2007-2008 by an average of 40 percent. Afterwards, there was a surge in poverty and malnourishment, resulting in wide spread protest and riots in 23 countries across the world and causing the unseating of governments from Haiti to Mauritania.
The following diagrams also show that socio-economic prosperity has direct correlate with higher food consumption and same is true in case of the GCC countries which has become serious issue in these countries. The per capita income is forecast to increase to US$38,100 ($35,490) from US$26,700 ($24,870) in the GCC.
With the increase in per capita income there will be substantial increase in the food consumption ratios and patterns. Since all the six GCC countries have been experiencing stable and sustainable macro- economies and future prospects are even brighter due to high oil rates/revenues at international markets, the ratios of food consumption will be higher and high- er in the days to come. According to EIU (2011), the region’s real GDP to grow by 56 percent with nominal GDP set to reach more than USD 2 trillion in 2020.

Probable Solutions/ Strategies
(a) Morocco and Jordan’s Membership in the GCC
In recent times Morocco and Jordan requested for the GCC countries membership which would present an opportunity to unify efforts and complement strengths among these countries in the agribusiness sector. It is hoped that would cooperation extended improve food security for Gulf nations, provided proper government policies are adopted.
The GCC countries can be better positioned in terms of food security by expanding agricultural cooperation with Morocco and Jordan with more tax breaks and less trade barriers, fostering a more liberalized agricultural trade among these countries.
Morocco’s wealth of exploitable agricultural land creates an opportunity with approximately 85,000 square kilometers of arable land, one seventh of which can be irrigated, combined with the advantageous factor of a mild Mediterranean climate along with skilled labor in this field.
The GCC countries can even capitalize on Jordan’s agribusiness and food manufacturing sector in order to bridge the widening gap between the supply-demand of food. Many UAE companies i.e. Rashid Al Dhahiri Olive Presses Company, Al Marmouqa Food Company, and Al Shalal for Agricultural Investment are working in Jordan. Jordan-Dubai International Capital Company had also set up an ostrich farm in Jordan valued at JOD 319,000.
Since both countries have more liberalized trade with GCC countries, if they are included in the council, would provide Gulf countries with food exports at much lower costs. It would only be one step in the GCC countries’ pursuit of more sustain- ability and higher food security.

(b) Foreign Land Banks
These countries have already developed their land banks in Sudan, Pakistan, and Ethiopia, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Brazil, Australia. and the last but not the least Tanzania.

Serious Strategic Hurdles and Solutions
The GCC countries may face some serious strategic hurdles while rigorously pursuing foreign land acquisition policy. Because many countries in Africa and Central Asia are net food importers and face strong population growth and major water shortages, it is vital that conflict with local farmers is avoided. It can be achieved by making investments mutually beneficial through the provision of business, payments, and job opportunities for locals.
There should be diversification in food supplies which avoid shipping food from landlocked Central Asian countries because supplies, would need to pass Iran, Afghanistan or be easy prey of one of the emerging Russia and the Caucasus. It would geo-political conflicts i.e. war in Afghanistan, any future conflict between Russia and Georgia, or an Iranian nuclear impasse. Moreover, threatening issue of pirates may disturb maritime supply chains. GCC states will have to pay special attention to piracy around the Horn of Africa are to rise. Africa if their food imports from Africa are to rise.
In addition to this the GCC also needs to plan to ensure the security of its food supply through the Strait of Hormuz which has been creating unfriendly gestures in the region.

(c) Increase Domestic Production and Strategic Food
Reserves Sincere and coordinated efforts must be initiated at every level to encourage the levels of domestic production along with having strategic food reserves in the region. Ensuring the security of food and water within a country’s borders is equally vital to food security.
According to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), an estimated 12 million hectares of agricultural land and their potential for producing 20 million tonnes of grain are lost each year to land degradation. Arabian Gulf and the GCC must integrate food security and sustain- able agriculture into their national and regional policies. There should be significant increase in the level of national and regional investments in sustainable agriculture and food systems in the next decade. Intensification of agricultural production and reduction of green- house gas emissions and other negative environmental impacts of agriculture would increase food production in these countries.
These countries should also tar- get populations and sectors that are most vulnerable to climate change and food insecurity. Reduction of loss and waste in food systems, particularly from infrastructure, farming practices, processing, distribution and household habits should be encouraged. Last but not the least, creation of comprehensive, shared, integrated information systems that encompass human and ecological dimensions would bring desired results in the days to come.
There is an urgent need for the articulation and implementation of a three-dimensional strategy that enables GCC countries to simultaneously cope with rising domestic consumption through education and family planning. It must also enhance domestic productivity via multilateral, accounts for roughly 80-90 per- cent of total fresh water use in the Cross-regional investments in R&D region and yet contributes an and technology transfer as well as improvement in agricultural sector.
(d) Revisit of Domestic Agricultural Subsidization
Subsidization of the agricultural sector has not been providing good results in these countries. Moreover, their agriculture shares in GDP are nominal. Agriculture in these countries.
accounts for roughly 80- 90 per- cent of total fresh water use in the region and yet contributes an average of only 2.3 percent to i.e. Kuwait 0.4 regional GDPS percent Saudi Arabia 5.1 percent and UAE, 3.6 percent). In terms of employment generation and diversification of economy, its is not up to the mark which should be revisited in order to cope with the high food demands in these countries.

(e) More Allocations to Scientific Research
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reports indicate that Arab countries along with the GCC do not allocate substantial funds to scientific research which is causing serious dints in their pursuits of food reliance. Less than 1 percent of the value of agricultural production is allocated to scientific research in Arab nations, compared with 2.4 percent in developed.

(f) Freedom of Imports
Investors and businessmen in the Arabian Gulf will be given more freedom to choose the timing of imports, the provisions of import contracts, the ability to rely on modem financial techniques to manage risks in the commodities markets, and the diversification of import sources and countries.

g) Collective Cultivation
Many analysts strongly stress the need to develop lands in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Sudan and Iraq which could cover the food needs of the rest of the region.

Conclusion
In the emerging complicated socio-economic compulsions, nation- al interdependencies of energy resources, regional geo-political trans-boundary conflicts and global geo-strategic bitter realities, water and food are playing a vital role of human survival. Countries with sufficient quantity and quality of water resources and food production have the better chances to grow and achieve their desired socio-economic goals. The easy and smooth supply of the water and food in some case directly and in other cases indirectly linked with inflation (Pakistan, Tajikistan) price hike (Zimbabwe, Argentine) poverty (Pakistan, Angola, Peru), social unrest (Haiti, Tunisia, Egypt, Georgia, Tajikistan), ethic conflicts (Middle East (Palestine- Israel)) and the last but not the least political instability( Madagascar).

It is the lesson of whole human civilization that our co-existence on this planet lies in the doctrines of “caring and sharing. Water and food have been one of the main instruments of bringing peace, harmony, trust, love and stability among the countries throughout the history and both of them have still the power to do it again. Water and food security should be on the political and developmental agenda of nation- al governments in the Arabian Gulf including the GCC countries.

All these countries must make investments in support of infrastructure for water conservation and food production. Greater coordination between relevant government ministries should be properly pursued.
Better knowledge systems on water and food nexus would also be helpful. Public-private sector cooperation is must for the national, regional and international water and food security. Introduction of new crop varieties that can tolerate low water levels and drought would lessen the water sacristy ratios.
With special reference to food security in the national, regional and international levels concrete joint and giant efforts should be initiated to increase farms productivity. Construction of food stores and establishment of regional strategic food banks would be beneficial for these countries. Moreover, sustainable agricultural, fishery and forestry, production and management of natural resources and excellent crisis management would play contributory role in achieving and securing water and food security systems in the GCC countries. United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia would lead the rest of the region in their collective drive for having water and food security.