Post on 17-May-2015
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Water, Resources and Development
Water plays a major role in humanity’s social and economic existence. ‘Available water’ : streams, lakes and groundwater = blue water‘unavailable’ – constrained in oceans or polar ice. ‘Green Water’ – water absorbed by vegetation and returned to the atmosphere.
Water for Life
Oceans Saline 1,350,000, 000km3
97.37%
Snow and Ice Freshwater 27,5000,000 1.98
Groundwater Freshwater 8,200,000 0.59
Atmospheric Freshwater 460,000 0.033
Lakes and Rivers
Freshwater 207,000 0.015
Soil Moisture Freshwater 70,000 0.005
Water Division
Access to Water 1990-2004
Health (hygiene, improvement, disease reduction) Labour availability (health and less effort required to collect
water) Cheaper water (compared to commercial vendors) Improved well-being (more security, less stress) Education (More time, especially for children) Empowerment (through greater community decision making) Income (health and labour improvement raise other
opportunities) Food security and nutrition (household production
opportunities)
Relationships between water development and human livelihoods
Water Scarce countries (i.e. less than 1,000 m3)
700 million people in ‘water stressed’ countries.
World Water Council (2010): ‘While the world's population tripled in the 20th century, the use of renewable water resources has grown six-fold. Within the next fifty years, the world population will increase by another 40 to 50 %. This population growth - coupled with industrialization and urbanization - will result in an increasing demand for water and will have serious consequences on the environment. ‘
UN World Water Development Report (WWDR, 2009) presents an equally gloomy future with these opening comments, ‘At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the Earth, with its diverse and abundant life forms, including over six billion humans, is facing a serious water crisis. All the signs suggest that it is getting worse and will continue to do so, unless corrective action is taken. This crisis is one of water governance, essentially caused by the ways in which we mismanage water.’
Water Scarce Countries
Social and economic development are not dictated by water distribution, although nor are they independent it.
Mismatches between development and ‘natural’ distribution are compounded by changes in hydrological regimes.
Water and Development
Water, Climate Change and Uncertainty
Chain of climate change uncertainty for water resource management
Precipitation intensity increases leading to higher surface runoff Lower seasonal rainfall leading to drought Higher temperatures with lower humidity causing plant water stress Increased potential evaporation Higher peak runoff Lower seasonal runoff Increased glacial meltwater runoff Sea level rises and coastal flooding with associated saline water
intrusion Groundwater recharge declining Increased agricultural (irrigation) demand Increased domestic water demands
Hydrological changes that could impact on water resources
Science and Technology: Engineering technology.
Water dilemmas
or
Economic and political capacity to mobilise resources.
up to 1850s – small private (commercial) water supply companies,
up to 1920s – municipal bodies investing in water and sanitation measures due to health and environmental concerns
Up to 1970s – large scale, national control of water investment and regulation with goals of economic development and social welfare improvement,
post 1970s – period of privatisation and decline of state-led economic development.
Enhancing Strategies
Water Use
Recognised by 75% as an independent state.
Not recognised by the UN.
However it has it’s own water regime and respective management issues.
Palestine: Water Resources
The HDI of Palestine
Human Dev Index
Rank 114 / 0.641
Health (Life Exp.) 72.8
Education Index 0.674
GNI per Capita $2,656
Inequality n/a
Poverty Index 0.005
Gender n/a
Sustainability n/a
Demography (pop)
4,152,400
(United Nations Development Programme, 2011)
International recognition of the State of Palestine
Conflict with surrounding states and associated import restrictions
Food shortages
Lack of central government
Lack of international recognition as a sovereign state
The Political Issues of Palestine
Arid region Only 69% of Palestinian communities are
connected to water networks Water consumption below WHO’s minimum
standard Restrictions of transboundary water supplies Dependency on an Aquifer system
Water Use & Provision in Palestine
Dependency upon an Aquifer system which discharges 600-660 Mm3 annually
However West Bank Palestinians exploit a mere 115-123 Mm3
Israel controls the westward-flowing aquifers and all waters flowing eastward into the Jordan River
Palestine’s Aquifer Dependency
Annual rainfall is likely to decrease, with proximity to the Mediterranean Sea.
The last 7 years have already seen precipitation levels fall.
The Levant is the most effected region by changes in precipitation in the Middle East.
4.5°C suggested surface temperature rise and 25% precipitation decrease by the end of the century.
Predictions of Climate Change in the Levant
The aquifer system will be severely effected, the replenishment rate is expected to decrease by up to 60%.
25% decrease in precipitation the Upper River Jordan catchment.
The Mediterranean Sea is expected to rise, leading to salinization of the aquifer system.
Downscaling the Effects of Climatic Change to Palestine
2.5% to 5% decrease in agricultural grain yield by 2080 – exacerbating food shortages.
Lack of political stability inhibits their access to water resources, restraining adaption to climate change.
In the absence of a clear political structure, there is no clear water management plan, with or without respect to climate change.
Increasing price of imported water They don’t have the economic resources to desalinize.
Palestine’s Water Outlook in Relation to Political and Climatic Pressures
Information on Water Resources For the selected country the water resource environment should be described
using information from FAO Aquastat at, http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/main/index.stm online data base http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/data/query/index.html?lang=en The data is organised into
Geography and Population Water Resources (precipitation, total renewable resources) Water Use (agriculture, industry and domestic). Irrigation Conservation Health
UN Policy Brief Challenge