Regional water stress intensifies

New ranking says 33 countries expected to face extreme shortages globally in 25 years' time

Nearly half of 33 countries expected to face extremely high water stress by 2040 are in the Middle East, where surface water is limited and demand is high, said experts who ranked more than 160 nations.

Fourteen Middle Eastern countries are projected to face extremely high water stress in 25 years' time, and eight fall in the global Top 10: Bahrain, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Oman.