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Abstract
The world faces many challenges from the beginning of the new century. An increase of nearly 2.6 billion in the world population within the first quarter of the century with its implications on the economic development, basis health, and food production seriously threatens the already stressed and fragile ecosystem of the planet. Water has emerged as one of the most vital issues facing the society and is moving up the global agenda. Other issues, such as public health, poverty, climate change, biodiversity, deforestation, and desertification, are closely linked to water, its use, and management. The current rate of increase in water withdrawal is twice the rate of growth in population. This trend is estimated to worsen over the next 25 years creating serious water shortages, heavy pollution loads, widespread public health problems, and serious damage to the world’s ecosystems.