A thirst for fresh water in Saudi Arabia

Man has always assumed the water we drink, bathe in and use for our recreation is one of our unending natural resources. Where water has been available, cultures have flourished. But our global "footprint" is now affecting our critical watersheds.
Saudi Arabia, adesert country, is one such nation where their very existence is dependent on water. There are no permanent rivers or lakes, and very little rainfall. For this reason alone, the scarcity of water makes it extremely valuable.
The Kingdom sits atop one of the world's largest aquifers, one mile below the surface. In the 1970s, considerable time and expense by the oil-rich country was spent in locating and mapping the underground water supply. Their efforts paid off, and tens of thousands of deep tube wells were drilled into the desert sands for both agricultural and urban usage.

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Taxonomy

• Crisis
• Freshwater
• Water Supply