Shared Water Resources in the Arab Region: An Overview

Transcription

1 Shared Water Resources in the Arab Region: An Overview 29/11/2017 Ziad Khayat First Economic Affairs Officer Water Resources Section Sustainable Development Policies Division (SDPD) Expert Group Meeting on Pursuing Improved Shared Water Resources Management within the Framework of Global and Regional Agreements Cairo, November 2018

2 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 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

3 Introduction

4 Shared Water Resources in the Arab Region Shared water resources represent two-thirds of fresh water resources in the Arab region. River and Groundwater Basins in the World BGR Hannover/ Page 4 UNESCO, Paris 2012 Euphrates River Syrian Arab Republic

5 Shared Surface Water Resources in the Arab Region

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 6

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 Page 7 * Bold indicates Major Basins

8 ESCWA-BGR Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia Full report available at: Page 8 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 crossborder 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 Euphrates River Syrian Arab Republic

9 Scope Euphrates River Syrian Arab Republic Full report available at: 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 9

10 Content of Inventory Euphrates River Syrian Arab Republic Full report available at: 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 10

11 Shared River Basins Euphrates-Tigris- Shatt Al Arab Orontes River Nahr El Kabir Basin Full report available at: Jordan River Basin Qweik River Basin Page 11 Based on selection criteria, other smaller shared resources referenced, but do not have dedicated chapters Euphrates River Syrian Arab Republic

12 Orontes River

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 Page 13

14 Hydrological baseline and trends Discharge Variability: Orontes River -visualize trends, drought years Figure 4. a) Mean annual discharge, b) specific mean annual discharge and c) discharge anomaly time series of the Orontes ( )

15

16 Cooperation: Orontes River 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

17 Shared Groundwater Resources in the Arab Region

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 18

19 Shared Groundwater Resources in the Arab Region Transboundary Aquifers of the World IGRAC 2012 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 Page 19 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

20 More Shared Aquifers than generally understood in Western Asia (Mesozoic & Paleozoic Eras) Shared Aquifer Systems: Mesozoic and Paleozoic Eras 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 Management Challenge: Analysis goes beyond There are Deep delineation of sub-surface extent Euphrates River Syrian Non-Renewable Arab Republic Aquifer Systems in Arab Region

21 Shared Aquifer Systems: Cenozoic Era More shared aquifers than generally understood Umm 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 Euphrates Limestone River Aquifer Syrian System Arab Republic - Syria, Turkey Taurus-Zagros - Iran, Iraq, Turkey

22

23 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)

24 Key Findings from the Inventory Full report available at: 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. Page 24

25 Thank you Ziad Khayat First Economic Affairs Officer Water Resources Section Sustainable Development Policies Division (SDPD)