Post on 11-Mar-2019
transcript
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
Shared Water Resources in the Arab Region
Introduction
Page 4
Shared Water Resources in the Arab Region
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
Page 6
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
Page 7
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
Page 8
ESCWA-BGR
Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia
Euphrates River – Syrian Arab Republic
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
Page 9
Euphrates River – Syrian Arab Republic
Full report available at:
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
Page 10
Euphrates River – Syrian Arab Republic
Content of Inventory
Full report available at:
www.waterinventory.org
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.
Page 11
Euphrates River – Syrian Arab Republic
Full report available at:
www.waterinventory.org
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
Page 13
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
Page 18
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.
Page 19
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
Euphrates River – Syrian Arab Republic
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
Euphrates River – Syrian Arab Republic
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)
Page 24
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
Full report available at:
www.waterinventory.org
Thank you
Ziad Khayat First Economic Affairs Officer
Water Resources SectionSustainable Development Policies Division (SDPD)