Klingbeil, R. & Al-Hamdi, M.I., 2010. Transboundary Water and Transboundary Aquifers in the Middle East: Opportunities for Sharing a Precious Resource. Presentation and paper at the International Conference on Transboundary Aquifers - Challenges and New Directions (ISARM 2010), 06-08 December 2010, UNESCO, Paris, France.

1. Transboundary Water and
Transboundary Aquifers in the Middle East:
Opportunities for Sharing a Precious Resource
UNESCO, Paris
08 December 2010
Ralf Klingbeil,
Regional Advisor Environment and Water
Mohammad I. Al-Hamdi, First Economic
Affairs Officer, Water Resources Section

2. 1 February, 2012 www.escwa.un.org 2
Outline
• Introduction: Global – Regional
• Regional Challenges for
Water Resources Management
• Sharing Transboundary Water and
Groundwater / Aquifers
• Towards Regional Legal Instruments for
Sharing Water Resources
• Conclusions:
How Bright is the Future?

3. 1966
Helsinki Rules
1997 UN
Watercourse
Convention
1992 UN ECE
Water
Convention
2003 UN ECE
Amendment
1998 SADC
Water Protocol
2000 SADC
Revised Water
Protocol
2000 EU WFD 2006 EU GW Dir
2008 UN ILC
Draft TBA Articles
2009 UN GA
Law of TBAs
Introduction
Global – Regional
1 February 2012 www.escwa.un.org 3
Aquifer Mgmt Unit:
Groundwater Body

4. Challenges for Water Resources
Management in the Region
• Water resources availability – scarcity concerns:
– External surface water resources,
– Non-renewable groundwater reserves,
– Non-conventional water resources,
i.e. desalinated sea- and brackish water, treated wastewater.
• National water governance and management:
– Water quality protection,
– Allocation of large water quantities to less productive
and/or less socially relevant sectors.
• Dependency on internal sharing of transboundary water
and aquifers:
– Suitability of data on quantity & quality of rivers & groundwater.
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5. Proven and Potential Transboundary /
Shared Aquifers in ESCWA Region
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6. Challenges to Sharing Transboundary Water
and Groundwater / Aquifers in the Region
Historic and Prior Use
Renewable / Non-renewable
Groundwater
Differences in Recharge and Use Areas
Spatial Extent of Surface and
Groundwater Catchments
Aquifer Management Units ≠
Entire Aquifer / Aquifer System
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7. Challenges to Sharing Transboundary Water
and Groundwater / Aquifers in the Region
• Historic and prior use ?
– Shall prior use justify the reduction of another party’s
right to utilisation and development?
– How can historic, current and potential future benefits
of one party be taken into account?
– Offer alternative water supplies?
• Renewable resources vs. non-renewable
reserves ?
– What is a fair share of a limited reserve?
– Include past water uses in agreements?
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8. www.escwa.un.org 8
Historic and Prior Use
Historical Use: Surface and Groundwater
Zeitoun, Messerschmid, Attili, 2009
1 February 2012

9. Non-renewable Groundwater:
Wadi Al-Sirhan, Saudi Arabia
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10. Challenges to Sharing Transboundary Water
and Groundwater / Aquifers in the Region
• Spatial extent of surface and groundwater
catchments ?
– Exclude ambiguity by not dealing with groundwater?
– Invest into joint research?
• Need for joint cooperation / management over
the entire basin / aquifer ?
– Planning of large scale investments needs to include
all -also upper- riparians?
– Reduced scope of cooperation, specific joint
zone of cooperation on both sides of a border?
– Aquifer management unit, i.e. “groundwater body”,
differing from entire TB aquifer?
1 February, 2012 www.escwa.un.org 10

11. Differences in Outcrop / Recharge
and Use Areas
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Location of aquifer utilisation zones and outcrop area of principal
aquifers (WaterWatch, 2006)

12. Upper Jordan River Basin
Spring Catchments
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Klein. 1998
Dan:
Q = 250 MCM
a = 24 km2
Rech. ≥ 10400mm/y
Hasbani/Snir + Dan:
Q = 325 MCM
a = 653 km2
Rech. ≥ 500 mm/y

13. www.escwa.un.org 13
Joint Investigations / Research
Groundwater Development Costs
MacDonald et al., 2009
1 February 2012

14. ESCWA / Arab Region
• Active support from regional organisations
– knowledge building of shared resources,
– bilateral and regional cooperation on
transboundary water and aquifers.
• International donor involvement
– mainly focused on river basins,
– little attention to groundwater.
• UNGA Law of TBAs, 2009:
“Encourages the States concerned to make
appropriate bilateral or regional arrangements
for the proper management of their transboundary
aquifers, taking into account the provisions of
these draft articles” (Recommendation No 5)
1 February, 2012 www.escwa.un.org 14

15. ESCWA / Arab Region
• Arab Ministerial Water Council (AMWC):
– June 2009, 1st session:
Regional Strategy for Water Security
– July 2010, 2nd session:
Shared Water Resources as Regional Priority
“Invite the CWSAWS and UN ESCWA,
in coordination with ACSAD and SIWI
to prepare a draft legal framework on
shared waters within the Arab Region
for its discussion during the next meeting
of the Technical Scientific Advisory
Committee of the Ministerial Council in
January 2011.” (Resolution 4, Item 3)
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16. Principles for Arab Sharing of
Transboundary Water and Aquifers
• AMWC to decide on format of legal framework
• Definition of shared water resources:
Surface and groundwater (renewable
and non-renewable) that exist, flow
across, underneath and/or along
common national borders of two or
more countries.
• General guiding principles may include
– General obligation to cooperate,
– Equitable and reasonable utilisation,
– Obligation not to cause significant harm.
1 February, 2012 www.escwa.un.org 16

17. Potential for Regional Support
• UN Regional Commissions can
– Assist developing regional legal tools  AWMC,
– Host regional institutions / secretariats for implementing regional
legal frameworks  UN ECE,
– Assist through normative work; increasing Member Countries’
understanding and interest in joint cooperation,
– Assist through direct policy and technical support from Regional
Advisor services  UN ECE, UN ESCWA.
• UN ESCWA serves its Member Countries and supports
regional organisations such as LAS and GCC through
– ESCWA Ministerial Session Resolutions / Mandates  233, 244,
– Regular work programme, Committee of Water Resources
(CWR) meetings, Expert Group Meetings,
– Regional Advisor services based on requests from Member
Countries.
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18. ESCWA – BGR Cooperation
Inventory of Shared Waters
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Compilation of
Information
Map of the shared
basin
Report
Basin Description
(including map & table)
Thematic chapters
(e.g. monitoring,
shared non-renewable
groundwater )
Member countries
Consolidation Consultation Publication
Basin Description
•Basin introduction
• Hydrogeology
• Groundwater use
• Agreements, cooperation
and TB mgmt issues
Other process
stakeholder
Sub-regional meetings
& EGMs
Table summarizing
facts & figures
Identification of
Shared Basins in
Western Asia
Sources
- ESCWA reports
- Regional literature
- Scientific publications
- Country papers
- Media

19. 1 February, 2012 www.escwa.un.org 19
Conclusions
• Global challenge to integrate 2009 UN GA Law on
TBAs into 1997 UN Watercourse Convention
• Arab regional institutional development:
AMWC and its resolutions, focussing inter alia on
– Arab water strategy
– Preparation of legal framework on shared water resources
• How to include prior use of non-renewable
groundwater into equitable and reasonable
utilisation?
• Making the most of regional tools to upgrade
national knowledge and increase cooperation

20. ESCWA / SDPD contacts
• Sustainable Development and Productivity
Division – SDPD
– Director SDPD - Ms. Roula Majdalani:
majdalani@un.org
– Regional Advisor Environment and Water
• Mr. Ralf Klingbeil:
klingbeil@un.org
– Water Resources Section – WRS
• Chief WRS - Ms. Carol Chouchani Cherfane:
chouchanicherfane@un.org
• FEAO - Mr. Mohammad Al-Hamdi:
al-hamdi@un.org
www.escwa.un.org 2001 February, 2012

21. Transboundary Water and
Transboundary Aquifers in the Middle East:
Opportunities for Sharing a Precious Resource
UNESCO, Paris
08 December 2010
Ralf Klingbeil,
Regional Advisor Environment and Water
Mohammad I. Al-Hamdi, First Economic
Affairs Officer, Water Resources Section