There could be extreme water scarcity in Egypt this decade

Despite being home to the river Nile, Egypt could face extreme water scarcity in the next decade according to a report by MIT.

The report concluded that Egypt will need to import more water than is currently supplied by the Nile due to the pressures of economic growth and an increasing population.

With the Egyptian economy growing rapidly since the 1970s, the burden on scarce resources such as water has increased dramatically. Economic growth has led to the development and creation of a whole host of new industries and economic activity. In particular, the Egyptian government has worked hard to improve the country’s agricultural sector.

Economic development in the extremely arid African nation has significantly increased prosperity but also given rise to a fundamental economic problem. That is indeed the basic economic problem itself: that the world has finite resources but humans have infinite wants.

THINK LIKE AN ECONOMIST!

Q1: What is the basic economic problem?

Q2. Explain why increased economic activity will lead to more prosperity.

Q3. Explain why increased economic activity will also lead to the scarcity of resources. (Give some examples in your answer)

Q4. What are the possible economic and political impacts of the scarcity of resources?

Click here for the source article

TheCuriousEconomist

Recent Posts

Rising Fuel Prices Create a ‘K-Shaped Economy’ in the United States

As petrol prices continue to rise in the United States, not all consumers are feeling…

3 days ago

Egypt’s Inflation Slows — But Economic Pressures Are Still Building

Egypt’s inflation rate unexpectedly slowed in April, falling to 14.9% from 15.2% in March. While…

1 week ago

South Korea’s ‘Youth New Deal’: Can Government Intervention Fix Youth Unemployment?

South Korea has launched a major new policy, the “Youth New Deal,” aimed at tackling…

1 week ago

Beef Prices Hit Record Highs: A Classic Case of Supply and Demand

Beef prices in the United States have reached record highs, with live cattle prices hitting…

3 weeks ago

AI in Banking: Boosting Profits but Cutting Jobs

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the banking industry — but not in the way…

3 weeks ago

Why Air Fares Are Soaring: Conflict, Fuel Prices and Supply Constraints Explained

Air fares have surged sharply over the past year, with the cheapest economy tickets now…

3 weeks ago