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Mohammed Saif Al-Kalbani malkalbani2020@gmail

Management of Water Scarcity in the Arid Mountains: A Case-Study of Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Sultanate of Oman. Mohammed Saif Al-Kalbani malkalbani2020@gmail.com. 5 th Arab Water Week Towards Sustainable Development in Water and Sanitation 3-7 March 2019, Dead Sea, Jordan.

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Mohammed Saif Al-Kalbani malkalbani2020@gmail

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  1. Management of Water Scarcity in the Arid Mountains:A Case-Study of Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Sultanate of Oman Mohammed Saif Al-Kalbani malkalbani2020@gmail.com 5th Arab Water Week Towards Sustainable Development in Water and Sanitation 3-7 March 2019, Dead Sea, Jordan

  2. Why Focusing on Mountains? Mountains occupying about one-quarter of the world’s land surface area Providing goods and services to more than half of the world’s population The greatest global value of mountains is as “water towers” More than half of humanity relies on freshwater for drinking, domestic use, irrigation, hydropower and industry (60-80% of freshwater in the world) In arid regions, mountains are the only areas with sufficient precipitation Mountains account for 50-90% to total discharge in arid areas Lower evapotranspiration rates at mountains help store water in reservoirs.

  3. Al Jabal Al Akhdar (Green Mountain) • Temperatures: 12oC lower than lands • Annual mean Rainfall: 250-400 mm 15-20% 3000 m

  4. Population and Housing • 1970-2010: • Population increased by 276% • 1993-2010 • Households increased by 30% • Housing units: 108%

  5. Main Activities: Agriculture/Animal Husbandry • Agriculture is the fundamental ecosystem for people’s livelihood (70% inhabitants). • Pomegranates & rose extraction are main contributors to farmer income and agricultural revenue - Traditional irrigation by flooding

  6. Growing activity: Tourism • Increase of tourists from 85,000 to 135,000 (by 58%) • Summer (May-October): 67% • Winter (November-April): 33% • July-August: 266,000 (32%) • Number of hotels increased from one in 2006 to 5 in 2019

  7. Water Resources/Uses • Rainfall amount and availability, the dominant factors in supplying of water resources: • Groundwater (11 wells): only resource for drinking • Wadis (valleys with intermittent stream flow), captured by artificial dams. • Aflaj (irrigation channels or canals): Fed by groundwater, springs or wadis. (72 aflaj) • Aflaj and dams are only used for agriculture. • Water is critical to the survival of the mountain agro-ecosystems and communities.

  8. Objective/Methodology Objective: Assess water resources of Al Jabal Al Akhdar Methodology: • Analysing the long-term series trends (temperature and precipitation) over the last few decades. • Assessing current state and trends of water resources data of aflajand groundwater levels. • Compiling water balance data for two water balance studies in 2000 and 2012.

  9. Results: Temperature Trends Highly significant differences (p <0.05) between last three decades

  10. Results: Temperature VS Rainfall Highly significant correlation: (r = -0.60, p <0.01) Average rainfall decrease by 58% between 1997-2000 and 2009-2012

  11. Results: Groundwater Levels Highly significant correlation: (r = 0.70, p <0.01) Groundwater levels declined by 44%

  12. Results: Number of Active Aflaj 1997 (National Aflaj Inventory): 72 aflaj Only one was inactive (dead) 2012 (Survey): 38 aflaj were active

  13. Results: Aflaj Flow Rates Highly significant correlation: (r = 0.6 p <0.01) Aflaj flow rates decreased by 85%

  14. Results: Water Balance in 2013

  15. Actions from the Government Cloud Seeding System Maintenance of Aflaj System Wastewater Treatment Plants Construction of Dams

  16. Take Home Messages .. • Mountains are very essential nature ecosystems for water • Water resources of Al Jabal Al Akhdar are deteriorating as a result of socio-economic development coupled with climate change. • Long-term strategic development plan in line with implementation of integrated water resources management. • Urgent need for Nature-Based Solutions to water challenges • Improve water use efficiency, conservation technologies, rainwater harvesting, reuse of treated wastewater/greywater to relieve some of the agricultural pressures, population growth and tourism. • Full coordination, integration and awareness should be strongly connected to planning, policies and water management programs at all levels and across all sectors. • Further research on long-term climatic data, and socioeconomic trends, to identify the main driving forces on water resources. • Comparative studies on other arid mountains region (MENA).

  17. Thank You www.Omanws.org.om

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