Klingbeil, R. & Al-Mooji, Y. 2013. State of Knowledge: Transboundary Aquifer Mapping & Assessment - UN ESCWA. Presentation at the GEF Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme (TWAP), Assessment of Transboundary Aquifers and SIDS Groundwater Systems, Inception Meeting, UNESCO-WWAP, Perugia, Italy, 14-15 May 2013.

1. State of Knowledge:
Transboundary Aquifer
Mapping & Assessment
UN ESCWA
Ralf Klingbeil & Yusuf Al-Mooji
UN ESCWA - BGR Cooperation
GEF Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme (TWAP),
Assessment of TBAs and SIDS GW Systems, Inception Meeting
14-15 May 2013, UNESCO, WWAP, Perugia, Italy

2. Outline
UN ESCWA – The Region
Legal Framework
ESCWA – BGR
Inventory of
Shared Water Resources in
Western Asia
Recent Developments

3. 13 May 2013 www.escwa.un.org 3
UN ESCWA

4. Legal Framework
• Legal Framework for Shared Water in the Arab Region
• Arab Ministerial Water Council (AMWC) Resolutions
– Res. No. 20, Second Session, Cairo - 2 Jul 2010
– Res. No. 37, Third Session, Cairo - 15 Jun 2011
– Res. No. 56, Fourth Session, Baghdad - 29 May 2012
– (Decision No. 54, Technical Committee AMWC - 16 Jan 2013)
• Preparation of Draft Text for Legal Framework:
Cooperation of
– UN ESCWA
– Centre of Water Studies and Arab Water Security
– Supported by ACSAD, BGR
• Currently under discussion for Fifth Session of AMWC in
2013
13 May 2013 www.escwa.un.org 4

5. Euphrates River – Syrian Arab Republic
The Inventory
The Inventory is …
the first UN-led effort to take
stock of the region’s shared
surface and groundwater
resources in a comprehensive,
systematic and standardized
manner.
Key Themes:
• hydrology, hydrogeology
• water resources development
and use
• agreements and cross-border
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

6. Euphrates River – Syrian Arab Republic
Geographical Scope
Geographical Scope:
covers all identified
surface and
groundwater resources
shared between Arab
Countries of Western
Asia. Also covers water
resources shared with
Iran, Israel and Turkey.
Arabian Peninsula
Mashrek
Mesopotamia

7. Inventory Features
A total of 23 shared aquifer
systems and 6 shared river
basins were identified.
9 chapters on shared surface
waters and 17 chapters on
shared aquifer systems, each
following a standardized
structure and methodology.
624 pages of detailed information
with 60 new maps and over 200
figures, tables and boxes.

8. Overview:
Shared Aquifer
Systems
Mesozoic and
Paleozoic Era

9. Overview:
Shared Aquifer
Systems
Cenozoic Era

10. ESCWA member countries Non-ESCWA
Shared Aquifer Systems BH EG IQ JO KW LB OM PS QA SA SY AE YE IR IL TR
ARABIANPENINSULA
Saq Ram (West)  
Wajid  
Wasia Biyadh Aruma (South): Tawila-Mahra /
Cretaceous Sands
 
Wasia Biyadh Aruma (North): Sakaka-Rutba  
U er R‘ Dammam (South): Rub‘ El Khali    
U er R‘ Dammam (Center): Gulf   
U er R‘ Dammam (North): Widyan-Salman   
Tawil-Quaternary: Wadi Sirhan Basin  
MASHREK
Anti-Lebanon  
Western Aquifer Basin   
Coastal Aquifer Basin   
Basalt (W): Yarmouk Basin  
Basalt (SE): Azraq Basin  
MESOPOTAMIA
Taurus-Zagros   
Jezira Tertiary Limestone  
Neogene (NW) - Upper and Lower Fars:
Jezira Basin
 
Neogene (SE) Dibdibba – Kuwait Group   
Overview: Shared aquifer systems in the Inventory

11. NAME LITHOLOGY COUNTRIES
Eastern Aquifer Basin Limestone Israel, Palestine
Ga’ara Aquifer System Sandstones/carbonates Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria
Hammad Basin Basalt, carbonates and marl Jordan, Syria
North-Eastern Aquifer Basin Predominantly limestone Israel, Palestine
Wasia-Biyadh-Aruma Aquifer System
(Centre): Gulf
Sandstones/carbonates
Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
United Arab Emirates
Western Galilee Basin Limestone and dolomite Israel, Lebanon
Overview: Shared Aquifer Systems without basin chapter
Criteria:
Limited size / Scale of Inventory
Limited shared portion
Limited exploitability (i.e. depth, salinity, oil-bearing, facies change)

12. Chapter Features - Groundwater

13. Anti-Lebanon
Shared Aquifer Systems
in the Mashrek

14. Basalt Aquifer
System (W):
Yarmouk Basin
Shared Aquifer Systems
in the Mashrek (cont.)

15. Basalt Aquifer
System (S):
Azraq-Dhuleil
Basin
Shared Aquifer Systems
in the Mashrek (cont.)

16. 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.
10 Key Findings
6. There is not a single agreement
on shared groundwater
resources.
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.

17. • Descriptive, scientific baseline for further dialogue on
shared surface and groundwater resources is available.
• Inter-active consultative process with countries has
enhanced the value of the product.
• The process itself has created awareness and
stimulated dialogue.
Conclusions

18. VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.waterinventory.org
Federal Institute for Geosciences and
Natural Resources (BGR)
Hannover, Germany
www.bgr.bund.de
United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
Beirut, Lebanon
www.escwa.org.lb

19. Recent Developments
ESCWA 10th Committee on Water Resources (CWR),
20-22 Mar 2013:
• Bi-annual inter-governmental meeting, reviewing and
mandating ESCWA’s work in the water sector
• Recommendations to ESCWA Secretariat, inter alia :
– To provide technical assistance in the field of management of
shared water resources through the organization of workshops
on legal frameworks and how to take advantage of the Inventory
of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia (B13),
– To seek funding for a 2nd phase of the Inventory of Shared Water
Resources to expand geographical scope to other Arab countries
(B14),
– To seek funding for implementation of cooperation projects
between countries sharing a common water basin (B17).
13 May 2013 www.escwa.un.org 19

20. State of Knowledge:
Transboundary Aquifer
Mapping & Assessment
UN ESCWA
Ralf Klingbeil & Yusuf Al-Mooji
UN ESCWA - BGR Cooperation
GEF Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme (TWAP),
Assessment of TBAs and SIDS GW Systems, Inception Meeting
14-15 May 2013, UNESCO, WWAP, Perugia, Italy