Assessment of National Institutions for the Joint Management of Shared Water Resources in Bahrain

1. Assessment of National Institutions for the Joint Management of Shared Water Resources in Bahrain by Dr. Mubarak Aman Al-Noaimi malnoaimi@agr.gov.bh Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Kingdom of Bahrain Expert Group Meeting on National Capacity Needs for the Effective Joint Management of Shared Water Resources in Arab States Tunis 7 - 9 June 2010

2. Overview of the Shared Water Resources • Current Institutional Set up and its Functions • Challenges and Advantages of the Existing • Institutional Arrangements • 4. Brief Feedback on the Proposed Institutional Set up • and its Functions Outline

3. 1. Overview of the Shared Water Resources • The Eastern Arabian Tertiary Carbonate Aquifer System is shared • between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia at sub-regional level (the figure below) • The aquifer system contains shared groundwater of regional extent with • the other GCC Countries, Iraq, Yemen, and possibly Syria and Jordan Hydrogeological cross section of the Shared Eastern Arabian Tertiary Carbonate Aquifer System at sub-regional level Source: Groundwater Development Consultants (GDC), 1980.

4. 1. Overview of Shared Water Resources … Cont’d Hydrogeologic characters and degree of importance

5. 2. Current Institutional Set up and its Functions Water Resources Council Established by Amiri Decree No. 7 (1982)/ Re-established by Legislation No. 36/2009 • Drawing up the country’s water resources policies and strategies • Follow up and ensure effective and efficient cooperation and • coordination mechanisms among the concerned authorities • Issue, review, and amend water legislations and other regulatory • instruments, and ensure compliance and effective legal enforcement • Set up priorities for work programmes, and follow up policy • developments and implementation, and take necessary measures • to solve problems that might arise during implementation • Advise the Cabinet on policy matters that are relevant to water • resources use, development, planning, and management Technical Advisory Committee • Advise the Council on policy matters related to water • resources use, development, protection, conservation, • planning, and management • Facilitate monitoring of implementation of water • resources policies and strategies, and provide feedback • to the Council on implementation status • Support and facilitate cooperation and coordination • instruments among all concerned authorities • Report periodically to the Council on various water policy • issues

6. 2. Current Institutional Set up and its Functions ... Cont’d Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry of Works Electricity and Water Authority • Manage, operate, maintain • sewerage treatment infrastructures, • including storage and pumping • facilities, and transmission and • distribution lines • Produce, store, transmit, and • distribute treated sewage effluent • Coordinate with the concerned • authorities all aspects of use and • allocations of treated sewage • effluent, including the establishment • of quality standards and procedures • for safe use of this resource. • Manage, operate, and maintain • desalination infrastructures, • including pumping and storage • facilities, and transmission and • distribution networks • Store, pump, transmit, distribute • public water supply • Plan for infrastructure requirements • and water demand projections • Plan, manage, and launch • campaigns on water conservation • and wise water use, and other • demand management measures • Develop, manage, conserve, protect, • regulate, and monitor groundwater • resources • Plan for and undertake studies and • researches on groundwater • investigations, development, use, • and management • Manage, regulate, and allocate the • use of treated sewage effluent for • agriculture • Coordinate with other relevant • authorities on setting up standards, • regulations, and procedures for TSE • re-use for agriculture Other Water Related Authorities Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources Environment, and Wildlife: Liaise with other concerned authorities and agencies with respect to protection of water resources from pollution and other environmental impacts Meteorological Department:Manage, operate, and maintain meteorological stations, and collect and manage climatic data Public Health Department: Monitor quality of drinking and municipal water to ensure compliance with standards, and liaise and coordinate with other concerned authorities on the establishment of TSE standards and regulations for re-use

7. 3. Challenges and Advantages of the Existing Institutional Arrangements Challenges • Suffers from fragmentation of roles and responsibilities • Poor or inappropriate coordinated actions and activities • Lack of sound legal framework and enforcement mechanisms • Inadequate or generally weak technical capacity • Lack of proper management tools and knowledge • As far as this gathering is concerned, the existing institutional • set up does not take into account shared water management • functions Advantages • Secure political commitments at the highest possible level • Advisory functions that could promote cooperation and coordination • mechanisms, and assist in making informed decision • Provide tools for evaluation and following up of policy developments • and implementation

8. 4. Brief Feedback on the Proposed Institutional Set up and its Functions • Being based on a comprehensive assessment and thorough analysis of the • institutional structures and transboundary issues in the Arab Countries, the • proposed institutional arrangements and functions lay down a solid • foundation for introducing significant institutional changes and enhancing • the national institutional capacities in the Arab States for effective and • more efficient shared water resources management • It appears, however, that the proposed institutional framework overlooks • the important roles (if they have any role,where they fit?) of the regional • or sub-regional councils that are cooperative in nature (the GCC is an • example), in resolving conflicts and fostering cooperation at both bilateral • and multi-lateral levels. Perhaps, this is particularly important in the case • of non-hostile environments. • Divisional wise, and although it depends on the country(s) specific condition(s), • a division explicitly representing groundwater may be considered at the Office • for International Cooperation in the institutional architecture of the so-called • Ministry of Water Resources (Page 85)

9. Thank you