1 / 109

Transboundary Water Issues in Israel and Palestine:

ASCE International Program October 31 and November 1, 2007. Transboundary Water Issues in Israel and Palestine: Israeli/Palestinian Reflections on the Way Forward. Address of Mr. Marwan Abdel Hamid Advisor of the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas.

remy
Download Presentation

Transboundary Water Issues in Israel and Palestine:

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. ASCE International Program October 31 and November 1, 2007 Transboundary Water Issues in Israel and Palestine: Israeli/Palestinian Reflections on the Way Forward Address of Mr. Marwan Abdel Hamid Advisor of the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas

  2. Chapter One Summary of Water Facts in MENA Region

  3. Middle East and North Africa

  4. Water Facts in MENA Region • 86% of the Arab lands are classified as arid or semi-arid regions. Average rainfall ranges between 18mm in Egypt and 830 mm in the Lebanese Mountains, while the mean does not exceed 250mm a year. It is important to note that 50% of the rainwater falls on Sudan, while the evaporation rate reaches 75%.

  5. Generally, the amounts of fresh, renewable water obtained from rainfall over the entire Arab region reaches 340 billion cubic meters; 55% of this water falls outside the borders of the Arab countries, • and 38 billion cubic meters are produced from non-conventional water sources, mainly seawater desalination and wastewater reclamation. Wastewater reclamation Seawater Desalination 38 billion m3 • Many of the Arab Gulf nations currently rely on desalination schemes to provide 60-80% of the domestic and industrial water demand.

  6. MENA has 5% of the world population with less than 1% of the available world’s freshwater resources. • The current population is approximately 280 million, and it is expected to reach 410 million and 650 million by the years 2025 and 2050 respectively. Therefore, the water demand will be greatly multiplied as the population increases. Population (million)

  7. Water Uses in MENA Region • The average amount of water utilized for domestic, industrial, and agricultural purposes is about 182 billion cubic meter. • The agricultural sector receives approximately 89% or 162 billion cubic meters of this water, • while 11.7 billion cubic meter are used for domestic purposes. This amounts to 41 m³/c/yr or 114 l/c/d which is relatively low.

  8. Before the 1950’s, every person was entitled to about 4000 m³/year of the renewable fresh water resources. This amount has now reached to 1000 m³/year and it is expected to drop to 500 m³/year by the year 2020 and then to 200 m³/year by 2050. This means that a huge drought in the region is expected for the future. m3/c/year

  9. The Arab countries cover approximately 1,377 million km², where: 1.1% or 150,000 km² are irrigated lands; 1.9% or 260,000 km² are non-irrigated lands; 486,000 km² are forests and 11.87 or 86% are desert lands.

  10. The most important challenges that face the Arab countries in water issues are: • The main obstacles in the water sector faced by Arab countries in the region are as follows: • The increase in water demand is exceeding the available water resources at a rate of 3 to 5 times until the year 2050. • There is deterioration in the quality of the available water resources due to increased pressure and over pumping of the groundwater resources. These resources are being destroyed, which may cause the Arab countries to lose more than 50% of their fresh water resources due to depletion and the dispersion of contaminants from un-treated wastewater, solid waste, agricultural activities, etc.

  11. Regional conflicts over shared water resources, especially between Egypt and the riparian countries to the Nile River, also between Turkey, Syria and Iraq over the Tigris and Euphrates basin and the conflict between Israel and the riparian countries to the Jordan River, which include Palestine.

  12. Chapter Two Availability of water and water demand in Palestine

  13. Map of Palestine and it’s neighbors

  14. Rainfall distribution over the historical Palestine

  15. Rainfall contour over West Bank.

  16. Jordan River ,Dead Sea ,and Jordan Valley Catchment Area • Jordan River. • Jordan Valley, • Jordan River Basin ‘s borders with Jordan.

  17. Commentary : • Rainfall varies considerably from 50 mm/yr in Ellat/Aqaba Bay to about 1200mm/yr at the northern mountains near the border with Lebanon. • The population in Israeland Palestine is currently approximated at 8.5million and is projected at 13 million in the year 2025. • The available renewable, fresh water resources are decreasing: • They are estimated at 1800 MCM/yr. • In addition, there is about 289 MCM/yr that can be made available from wastewater reuse. • Desalinated water is approximated at 220 MCM/yr. • Limited volumes of brackish water can be considered suitable for irrigation purposes. • Thus, the total available water resources for all purposes are approximated at 2340 MCM/yr in both Israel and Palestine.

  18. Israel is working now at increasing available water as follows: • Desalinated water with another 200 MCM/yr by the year 2012. • Another 200 MCM/yr from wastewater reuse for agricultural purposes by the year 2012. • Thus, by the year 2012, the maximum available water for all purposes is projected to be no more than 2800 MCM/yr.

  19. Demand • In comparison, the current water demand is estimated at 2300 MCM/yr. This is expected to increase to 3700 MCM/yr by the year 2025 on the assumption that the per capita municipal and industrial consumption does not exceed 85 m³/yr, which is about 36% less than the current per capita municipal and industrial consumption of 120 m³/yr. Also, these figures assume a 35% reduction of the irrigated lands. • 36% loss in the municipal and industrial consumption • 35% reduction of irrigated lands.

  20. We can conclude from the previous analysis that the available water is not sufficient to meet the ever increasing demand as the gap is expected to be 1500 MCM by the year 2025. • This gap is evident from: • Deterioration in groundwater quality in all mountain and coastal aquifer basins. • The negative impacts on Lake Tiberius. • This gap is calling for imminent actions according to a clear and decisive water policy. We believe this policy should include at least • The reallocation of water for agriculture • and imposing restrictions on domestic use.

  21. The only way to solve the conflict over water resources, their shortages, and expected droughts is to follow this path: • Joint cooperation • Good will and good neighbors • Each party should respect the other party • Development of additional water resources • Efficient management of water resources • Preservation and protection of water resources from both excessive utilization and pollution

  22. Reference Year period: 1980 -1999

  23. Israeli and Palestinian utilization of water resources in Historical Palestine (Mcm/yr).

  24. Basins in Historical Palestine -Shared and non shared aquifers

  25. Groundwater Aquifers in the West bank.

  26. Israeli and Palestinian Aquifer utilization (Mcm/yr) through wells and springs (1998/99) in the West Bank • The total utilization (1010 Mcm/yr) exceeded the estimated total average recharge for the three aquifers (679 Mcm/yr according to Oslo II agreement) by almost 50%.

  27. Costal Aquifer-Gaza • There are 4000 agricultural wells, pumping 85 Mcm/year • There are 100 municipal wells, pumping 54 Mcm/year. • There are 40 Israeli wells, pumping 5-7 Mcm/year • Total abstraction is estimated at 140-145 mcm/year

  28. Eastern Springs In Gaza strip

  29. Current Water Supply and Demand

  30. Local Resources In West Bank

  31. Served Areas in West Bank

  32. Unserved Areas in West Bank

  33. Water Demand and Supply Deficit in Palestine in 2006

  34. Palestinian Water Supply-Demand Gap 800 700 600 500 Mcm/yr Supply 400 Demand 300 Gap 200 100 0 2000 2005 2010 Year

  35. Israeli and Palestinian Abstraction Wells inside West Bank 2004 Israeli Wells = 37 wells Total Abstraction = 46 Mcm/yr Palestinian Wells = 325 wells Total Abstraction = 64 Mcm/yr

  36. Chapter Three Israeli Offenses against Water Resources

  37. Israeli military orders since 1967. • The closure of the Palestinian areas in the Jordan River area and the destruction of the irrigation equipment and facilities in the area. Also, the Palestinians have been denied access to the Jordan River since 1967. • The drilling of new groundwater wells for Israeli use inside the West Bank. These wells utilize some 55 MCM/yr for Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Israeli wells were drilled in close vicinity to Palestinian springs which dried out as a result such as the springs of Bardala, Fasayel, Auja and Ein Samia. • The drilling of hundreds of deep groundwater wells in Israel very close to the green line with the West Bank. These wells are used by Israel to mine the West Bank aquifers, especially the western and northeastern aquifer basins. These wells pump some 500 MCM/yr. • The construction of the separation wall and its negative impacts on the land and agricultural wells. Israeli Offenses against Water Resources

  38. Israeli and Palestinian Abstraction Wells inside West Bank 2004 Israeli Wells = 37 wells Total Abstraction = 46 Mcm/yr

  39. Israeli’s Wells Inside the Green Line

  40. Apartheid Wall & Water Resources

  41. The New proposed location of the separation wall as appeared in Al-Quds newspaper on 5/5/2006

  42. Apartheid Wall &Springs.

  43. Palestinian Wells (West Bank)

  44. Wells in Jordan River Basin

  45. Dry springs and wells in Jordan River Catchment Area 1. Dlaib Spring.

  46. 2. Ein – Sedra spring

  47. 3.Pumping station in Jericho.

  48. 4.Source of Miskah Spring.

  49. Chapter Four Signed Agreements

More Related