1.
Recent Developments:
Groundwater at National Level and
Shared Aquifers Between Countries in
Middle East and North Africa
FH-DGG, Bayreuth, Germany
28-31 May 2014
Ralf Klingbeil, RA Environment & Water
Roula Majdalani, Director, SDPD

2.
Outline
• UN ESCWA - Regional Cooperation
• Groundwater Management at National Level
– Drought - Water Scarcity
– Managed Aquifer Recharge - Aquifer Storage and Recovery
• Shared Groundwater - Transboundary Aquifers
– Legal Instruments: Global, Regional, Bi- or Multi-lateral
– Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia:
Shared Aquifers
– Sub-regional Cooperation
• Conclusions and Outlook
www.escwa.un.org 231 May 2014

3.
31 May 2014 www.escwa.un.org 3
UN ESCWA
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
• Headquarter in
Beirut since 1997
• 17 Member States

4.
31 May 2014 www.escwa.un.org 4
Organizational Chart
Sustainable Development Policies
Division SDPD
Social Development Division SDD
Economic Development and Globalization
Division EDGD
Information Communication and
Technology Division ICTD
Statistics Division SD
Emerging Conflicts and Related Issues
ECRI
ESCWA Centre for Women ECW
Administrative Services Division ASD
UNESCWA
Energy Section
EnS
Food and
Environmental
Policies
Section FEPS
Water
Resources
Section WRS

5.
Iraq: Displacement due to Drought
31 May 2014 www.escwa.un.org 5
IOM,July2010.

6.
Syria: Drought and Groundwater Use
www.escwa.un.org 631 May 2014
• Drought since
2008
• Inability to
“make a living”
• Internally
Displaced
People IDPs
• Additional
stress on
resources and
society in
urban areas in
West
irinnews.org,2009.Syria’sdrought-affectedprovincesasofAug2009.

7.
Lebanon: Historic Drought 2014 ?
731 May 2014
BGR,A.Margane,2014.

8.
Using the Groundwater Buffer Wisely:
MAR - ASR
31 May 2014 www.escwa.un.org 8
UNESCO,2005.

9.
31 May 2014 www.escwa.un.org 9
Tunisia: Korba Aquifer Recharge
• Groundwater used mainly for
irrigation
• Prior to recharge, contaminated
with seawater intrusion, nitrate
and bacterial pollutants
• TWW “recycled” into the aquifer
via infiltration basins
• Hydraulic barrier against
seawater intrusion
ElAyniF.etal.,2011,ChaiebH.2011,CherifS.etal.,2013.
Salinity of groundwater
prior to recharge

10.
31 May 2014 www.escwa.un.org 10
Oman: Salalah Aquifer Recharge
Groundwater Levels
Salalah
Aquifer Recharge:
• Halts aquifer
depletion
• Halts water
salinisation
ShammasMI.2007,2008.
Salinity Levels

11.
Jordan:
MAR - Infiltration of Floodwater
• 2012: MWI/JOR – BGR/BMZ/GER
– Guideline for assessment and
implementation of Managed Aquifer
Recharge (MAR) in (semi-)arid regions
– Pre-feasibility study for infiltration of
floodwater in Amman-Zarqa and Azraq
basins
Steinel, 2012
31 May 2014 www.escwa.un.org 11

12.
Schematic Diagram of a Shared Aquifer
and its Flow Directions
Puri,S.&Arnold,G.E.2002.

13.
31 May 2014 www.escwa.un.org 13
Challenges with Shared Groundwater –
Transboundary Aquifers in the Region
Klingbeil&Al-Hamdi,2010.
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

14.
31 May 2014 www.escwa.un.org
Overview Global and Other Regional
Legal Instruments
1966
Helsinki Rules
1997 UN
Watercourse
Convention
2014 Entry into Force
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 GA
Law of TBAs
2011, -13, -16 UN GA Reviews
2010 AMWC Res
for Drafting AWC
Annual AMWC
Reviews

15.
31 May 2014 www.escwa.un.org 15
Inventory of Shared Water Resources in
Western Asia - Overview
www.waterinventory.org

16.
16
Inventory of Shared Water Resources in
Western Asia - Overview
www.waterinventory.org

17.
17
Inventory - Features
www.waterinventory.org

18.
Inventory - Chapter Features - Groundwater
www.waterinventory.org

19.
19
Inventory - Key Findings
www.waterinventory.org

20.
20
Inventory - Shared Aquifer Systems
www.waterinventory.org

21.
April 2014 www.escwa.un.org 21
Inventory - Shared Aquifer Systems
www.waterinventory.org

22.
22
Umm er Radhuma - Dammam Aquifer
System (North), Widyan-Salman
www.waterinventory.org

23.
31 May 2014
Umm er Radhuma - Dammam Aquifer
System (North), Widyan-Salman
www.waterinventory.org

24.
24
Inventory - Added Value
www.waterinventory.org

25.
25
Inventory - Added Value
www.waterinventory.org

26.
Inventory - Website
www.waterinventory.org

27.
Kuwait: KISR
• Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR)
• Assistance in field of shared groundwater & aquifers
– KISR / ESCWA Workshop Shared Groundwater
Aquifers in GCC Countries, Apr 2014,
– Presentation “Recent Developments at Global and
Regional Level on Shared Groundwater Aquifers
with a Focus on Arab Gulf Countries”,
– Support and technical inputs to develop research
proposal on shared groundwater aquifers between
Kuwait and neighbouring countries,
• Further activities envisaged
– Assistance in review of research proposal,
– Backstopping and advice through participation in
advisory committee.
UN ESCWA & BGR, 2013
www.escwa.un.org 2731 May 2014

28.
Jordan River
Basin Dialogue
• Jordan River Basin Dialogue (JRBD)
• Requested by Palestinian Water Authority (PWA)
• Based on ESCWA - BGR Inventory of Shared Water
Resources in Western Asia (2013)
• UN ESCWA facilitated riparian dialogue, cooperating
under 1997 UN Convention on Non-Navigational
Uses of International Water Courses
• Addressed themes: Hydrology and hydrogeology,
historic development of water use and options for
further cooperation between riparians
• 1st meeting: Amman, 06-07 Apr 2014
www.escwa.un.org 2831 May 2014

29.
31 May 2014 www.escwa.un.org 29
Conclusions and Outlook
• National groundwater management faces many challenges:
– Sustainability of renewable and non-renewable groundwater,
– Increasing pollution risk from population and land use changes,
– Groundwater as “buffer” for periods of water scarcity and drought,
– Managing the “buffer”, the groundwater storage.
• Transboundary cooperation on water and aquifers remains
important:
– Global and regional legal frameworks for cooperation are developing
to also address transboundary aquifers,
– ESCWA BGR Inventory useful for improved understanding of shared
groundwater between countries in the region,
– First sub-regional cooperation between aquifer / riparian states
developing.

30.
Recent Developments:
Groundwater at National Level and
Shared Aquifers Between Countries in
Middle East and North Africa
FH-DGG, Bayreuth, Germany
28-31 May 2014
Ralf Klingbeil, RA Environment & Water
Roula Majdalani, Director, SDPD