shared water resources in the arab region: an overview · shared water resources in the arab...

29/11/2017

Shared Water Resources in the Arab Region: An Overview

Ziad Khayat First Economic Affairs Officer

Water Resources SectionSustainable Development Policies Division (SDPD)

Expert Group Meeting on Pursuing Improved Shared Water

Resources Management within the Framework

of Global and Regional Agreements

Cairo, 29-30 November 2018

© Copyright ESCWA. All rights reserved. No part of this presentation in all its property may be used or reproduced in any form without written permission

Table of Contents

Introduction: Shared Water Resources in the Arab Region

Shared Water Resources in the Arab Region


Introduction


Shared water resources represent two-thirds of fresh water resources in the Arab region.

Euphrates River – Syrian Arab Republic

River and Groundwater Basins in the World

© BGR Hannover/ UNESCO, Paris 2012

Shared Surface Water Resources in the Arab

Region

Shared Surface Water Resources in the Arab Region

– 27 shared Surface water basins with

– 14 of 22 Arab countries are riparian States with a shared waterbody

Shared Surface Water Resources in the Arab Region

Shared among: Arabian Sub-Region African Sub-Region

Arab Countries Only Nahr el Kabir al

Jnoubi

Atui, Dra, Daoura,

Guir, Tafna, Oued

Bon Naima, Medjerda

Two or More Arab

Countries with Non-

Arab Countries

Euphrates, Tigris,

Orontes, Jordan

Nile, Awash

One Arab Country

with Non-Arab

Countries

Juba-Shibeli, Niger,

Senegal, Gash,

Baraka

* Bold indicates Major Basins

ESCWA-BGR

Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia


The Inventory is…

the first UN-led effort to take

stock of the shared surface

and groundwater resources

in Western Asia a

comprehensive, systematic

and standardized manner.

Key Themes:

• Hydrology, hydrogeology

• Water resources

development and use

• Agreements and cross-

border management

efforts.

Objectives:

• Identify, and document the

state of shared water

resources and their use

• Improve the knowledge base

and facilitate information

access

• Create awareness and

stimulate informed dialogue

within and between riparian

countries

• Support regional processes

towards improved dialogue and

cooperation over shared water

resources

Full report available at:

www.waterinventory.org

http://www.waterinventory.org/




Scope

Covers surface and

groundwater

resources shared

between the Arab

States of Western

Asia, as well as water

resources shared with

neighboring non-Arab

States

Sub-regions:

Arabian Peninsula

Mashrek

Mesopotamia



Content of Inventory



A total of 22 shared aquifer

systems and 7 shared rivers

were identified.

17 dedicated chapters on

shared aquifer systems and 9

basin chapters on shared

surface waters, each

following a standardized

structure and methodology.

624 pages of detailed

information with 60 new

maps and over 200

figures, tables and boxes.





Based on selection criteria, other smaller shared resources

referenced, but do not have dedicated chapters

Shared

River Basins

Euphrates-Tigris-

Shatt Al Arab

Orontes River

Nahr El Kabir Basin

Jordan River Basin

Qweik River Basin


Orontes River

Orontes River

• Karstic springs in Bekaa Valley (690 meters altitude) largely feed river upstream (Groundwater-Surface Water interaction)

• Groundwater recharge dependent on snow cover in Mount Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

• Additional flows contributed in Syria (Ghab Valley) and from Afrin and Karasu tributaries contribute to flow in Turkey

Figure 4. a) Mean annual discharge, b) specific mean annual

discharge and c) discharge anomaly time series of the

Orontes (1932-2010)

Hydrological baseline and trends

Discharge Variability: Orontes River

-visualize trends, drought years

Syrian-Lebanese

Joint Committee for Shared Water

➢ Bilateral cooperation among riparian countries has been pursued, but dependent upon associated foreign policy issues

▪ Lebanese-Syrian Joint Committee covers 2 Shared Surface Basins

▪ Turkey initially sought to link cooperation on Orontes to negotiations on Euphrates

▪ Hatay Province (Iskandarun) territorial dispute (Syria-Turkey)

➢ No basin-level committee.

➢ Current circumstances render basin-level cooperation unlikely in short term

Cooperation:Orontes River

Shared Groundwater Resources in the Arab

Region

Shared Groundwater Resources in the Arab Region

• Shared groundwater basins cover almost 58% of the Arab region in terms of surface area.

• All Arab countries, with the exception of the Comoros, share one or more of 40 plus aquifers.

Shared Groundwater Resources in the Arab Region

AFRICA

AF43 Dawa Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia

AF44 Jubba Ethiopia, Somalia

AF45 Shabelle Ethiopia, Somalia

AF53 Baggara Basin CAR, South Sudan,

Sudan

AF59 African Rift Valley Aquifer Djibouti,

Ethiopia

AF61 Gedaref Ethiopia, Sudan

AF62 Disa Chad, Sudan

AF63 Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System Chad,

Egypt, Libya, Sudan

AF64 Taoudeni Basin Algeria, Mali, Mauritania

AF65 Tin-Séririne Basin Algeria, Niger

AF66 l'Air Crystalline Aquifer Algeria, Mali,

Niger

AF67 Mourzouk-Djado Basin Chad, Lybia,

Tunisia

AF68 Tindouf Aquifer Algeria, Morocco

AF69 Northwest Sahara Aquifer System

Algeria, Libya, Tunisia

AF70 Errachidia Basin Algeria, Morocco

AF71 Merti Aquifer Kenya, Somalia

ASIA

AS1 Western Aquifer Egypt, Israel, Palestine

AS2 Coastal Aquifer Israel, Palestine

AS3 Northeastern Aquifer Israel, Palestine

AS4 Nahr el Kabir (Cenemonian-Turonian) Israel, Lebanon,

Syria

AS5 Paleogene and Cretaceous aquifers Jordan, Saudi Arabia

AS6 Paleogene Aquifer Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman,

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

AS7 Bazalt-Azraq Jordan, Syria

Transboundary Aquifers of the World

© IGRAC 2012


Anti-Lebanon - Lebanon, Syria

Western Aquifer Basin - Egypt, Israel,

Palestine

Wasia-Biyadh-Aruma Aquifer System

(North): Sakaka-Rutba - Iraq, Saudi

Arabia

Wasia-Biyadh-Aruma Aquifer System

(South): Tawila-Mahra/Cretaceous

Sands - Saudi Arabia, Yemen

Ga’ara Aquifer System - Iraq, Jordan,

Saudi Arabia, Syria

Saq-Ram Aquifer System (West) -

Jordan, Saudi Arabia

Wajid Aquifer System - Saudi Arabia,

Yemen

More Shared Aquifers than generally understood in Western Asia (Mesozoic & Paleozoic Eras)

Analysis goes beyond delineation of sub-surface

extent

Shared Aquifer Systems: Mesozoic and Paleozoic Eras

Management Challenge:

There are Deep Non-Renewable Aquifer Systems in Arab Region


More shared aquifers than generally understoodUmm er Radhuma-Dammam Aquifer System (North):

Widyan-Salman - Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

Umm er Radhuma-Dammam Aquifer System (Centre):

Gulf - Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia

Umm er Radhuma-Dammam Aquifer System (South):

Rub’ al Khali - Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates,

Yemen

Neogene Aquifer System (South-East), Dibdibba-

Kuwait Group: Dibdibba Delta Basin - Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi

Arabia

Neogene Aquifer System (North-West), Upper and

Lower Fars: Jezira Basin - Iraq, Syria

Tawil-Quaternary Aquifer System: Wadi Sirhan Basin -

Jordan, Saudi Arabia

Central Hammad Basin - Jordan, Syria

Basalt Aquifer System (South): Azraq-Dhuleil Basin -

Jordan, Syria

Basalt Aquifer System (West): Yarmouk Basin -Jordan,

Syria

Coastal Aquifer Basin - Egypt, Israel, Palestine

Eastern Aquifer Basin - Israel, Palestine

North-Eastern Aquifer Basin - Israel, Palestine

Jezira Tertiary Limestone Aquifer System - Syria,

Turkey

Taurus-Zagros - Iran, Iraq, Turkey

Shared Aquifer Systems: Cenozoic Era

Catchment Areas covers:

• Anjar Spring

• Chamsine Spring

• Souairi Spring

➢ Contributes to

Litani River in

Lebanon, which flows

through Bekaa and

discharges to

Mediterranean Sea

(Groundwater-Surface

water interaction)

➢ Springs used for

irrigation, fish farms

(Nexus)

➢ Litani River used for

irrigation and

hydropower (Nexus)

1. There are more shared water

resources in Western Asia than

generally assumed.

2. Water quantity and allocation

dominate the discourse on

shared water resources in this

water-scarce region.

3. Water quality is rapidly

deteriorating, a fact that is

largely neglected.

4. The lack of accurate data

hampers joint water resources

management.

5. Cooperation over shared water

exists, but is never basin-wide.

6. There is not a single agreement

on shared groundwater resources

in the region. (pre Disi agreement)

7. The region's groundwater is

largely non-renewable and

aquifers are rapidly being

depleted.

8. Groundwater plays an important

role in surface water basins, a link

which is often overlooked.

9. A new thinking is required to deal

with large regional aquifer

systems from a shared

perspective.

10. It is already too late to save

some shared waters.

Key Findings from the Inventory




Thank you

Ziad Khayat First Economic Affairs Officer

Water Resources SectionSustainable Development Policies Division (SDPD)

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