Groundwater Management in the Near East Region FAO Synthesis Report

Mohamed Bazza, PhD Senior Officer. FAO, Rome

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Background : WR Issues

Near East – scarce by nature

- ~10% world area, 5.4% world population, 0.5% of global RWR - Average precipitation 135 mm/yr vs. > 800 mm worldwide - IRWR 630 m³/cap/yr vs. > 6400m³ ww (0 for Kuwait - 1750 for Iran) - 11/20 countries: TRWR < 500 m³/capita/yr - Extremely limited supply increase potential - Dependency on water from outside region (Nile, Tigris, Euphrates) - (including fossil) is as important as surface water - GW pollution, depletion, climate variability and change Background : WR Issues Background: WR Issues

Near East – Water scarce

As a result, all countries of the region are net importers of food

In 2005: total net import of virtual water into the region was estimated at >74 km³ per year, three times the domestic water use (25 km³/yr) in the entire region

Water scarcity expected to worsen because of populations grow, increased socio-economic demand for water climate change threatens (reduced annual rainfall and increased periods, frequency and severity of drought

Agriculture water use

- largest consumer with around 86% total water use - Total agricultural water use: around 300 km3 per year – Iran (86 km³), Egypt (59 km³), Iraq (52 km³): 65% total – Arabian Peninsula: < 11%

- Total actually irrigated area: 16.8 million ha (24.2 million equipped) – Egypt + Iran + Iraq: >62% region total

- < 30% of total cultivated area but contributes around 50% of total production

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Irrigation Water Sources

Sources of irrigation water (exc. Sudan and OPT)

 Surface water  > 48% of total irrigated area  Highest percentage in Iraq (94%) and Egypt (83%)  Largest area in Iraq and Iran  Egypt, Iran, Iraq: 87% of area under surface water irrigation

 Groundwater (renewable and non renewable)  47.6% of irrigated area  Highest in Arabian Peninsula (98%)

 Other (non conventional, mixed groundwater and surface)  > 4% of irrigated area  Highest percentages in Syria (40%, mixed surface and groundwater), Kuwait (39%) and Lebanon (33%)

Importance of GW in Socio-economic development

• Nearly all countries rely heavily on groundwater to meet growing water demand for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use •Reliable source of water in times of drought , surface water is scarce • GW irrigation has underpinned significant socio-economic developt in rural areas and lifted population out of poverty • Sole source in many countries (Arabia Gulf, Libya) •Large number of oases thrive solely on GW

FAO Study – 2008-09

 Not about hydro-geology

Attempt to address question of groundwater management – How can countries manage their groundwater resources to bring about an appropriate balance between supply and demand so that groundwater exploitation is sustainable, compatible with plans for economic growth, and environmentally sound

Country studies by national GW experts in Algeria, Iran, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen

Additional information from other countries – Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan – for a more complete picture

Update on use and balance recharge vs. Withdrawal

Drivers for change

GW management response

Future perspectives

Current Stand

Country Population Exploitable /capita Withdrawals Current Deficit groundwater deficit 2025-30 3 (x 10 ) (MCM) (CM) (MCM) (MCM) (MCM)

(1) (2) (3)=(2)/(1) (4) (5)=(2)-(4)

35,000 1,900 54 2,400 - 500 Algeria Fossil water 2,200 - 2,200 Unknown

74,000 700 9.5 7,000 - 6,300 Egypt Fossil water 825 - 825 Not available

Iran 69,500 49,300 71 53,100 - 3,800 Not available

5,700 540 95 553 - 13 Jordan 143 25 Not available

Kuwait 2,780 20 7 415 - 395 Not available

Lebanon 3,577 500 140 712 - 212 Not available Current Stand

Country Population Exploitable /capita Withdrawals Current Deficit groundwater deficit 2025-30

3 (x 10 ) (MCM) (CM) (MCM) (MCM) (MCM)

(1) (2) (3)=(2)/(1) (4) (5)=(2)-(4)

6,000 500 83 1,320 - 820 Not available Libya Fossil water 2,950 - 3,000 -6,400 31000 4000 129 2670 1,330 -4200 Morocco < 0? Fossil water 500 - 500 Not available

Oman 2,570 1,300 505 1,180 - 120 (- 378?)

10000 1150 115 810 340 - 370 Tunisia Fossil water 1090 - 1,090 Not available 24,600 2,200 89 2,200 Unknown Unknown Saudi Arabia Fossil water 20,200 - 19,200 Unknown but <19,200

Syria 19,400 3,800 206 Not known - Not available

Yemen 21,000 1,500 71 2,400 - 900 -1,270 Current Stand

GW relatively less important in Egypt, Iraq, Syria because of their reliance on shared surface

Egypt: - local GW reported in FAO AQUASTAT; mainly seepage from the Nile which is pumped from the resulting localized water table

- Extensive fossil water reserves in largest in the world – Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) – shared with Chad, Libya, and Sudan.

Jordan shares Disi-Saq fossil aquifer with Saudi Arabia

Kuwait has serious groundwater problems, relies on desalination

Current Issues

Unbalanced supply and demand – Sustainability issue

Serious over-exploitation of many renewable and non-renewable across region, causing irreparable damage to coastal aquifers (saline intrusion)

 GW pollution from agriculture, industry and inadequate sewerage systems

Several renewable shallow aquifers exhausted

Water levels in many non-renewable aquifers fell beyond economic and physical levels of pumping equipment

Countries include entire in planning rather than focusing separately on surface and GW

Water laws often exist, legislation (partial or total) also; limited or no enforcement

Institutions in charge of water: several; responsibility diffuse; accountability: not defined

GW: Drivers for change

Significant changes needed to balance GW supply and demand

What are the drivers for change? 10000 8900

1. Population growth. 8000 World 6,000 Around 400 million ( ̴ 6% world total) 6000 4000 NE Almost 4x in 50 yrs, continues to grow with prosperity 4000 2000 1100 - 550 solution partially outside of the 0 water sector 1950 2010 2050

2. Improvements in water supply and sanitation Some cities have highest per capita use in the world, while relying entirely on GW incentives and measures, leakage reduction needed

3. Food security policies/strategies currently about 70 km3 of GW used annually for agriculture (nearly 50% total). Unsustainable

Over abstraction represents up to 2% GDP loss (WB, 2007).

GW: Drivers for change

What are the drivers for change?

4. Improving irrigation efficiency and productivity – Most important - avge Irrig. efficiency in NE ̴ 50% , not reflecting - traditional methods predominate, management problems for modern irrig. - crops - perverse incentive systems and market policies not conducing to water savings - part of solution lies outside the water sector, through structural economic and policy changes

5. Water quality management, environment GW depletion cause of concern

Surface irrigation with a tanker, Saudi Arabia Pathway of groundwater development

Infrastructure development, drilling of deep boreholes to meet growing water demands

Disengagement of the state to encourage private sector to engage in irrigated agriculture, which in turn encouraged investment in modern technologies and pumping systems and fuelled rural economy

Substantial water demand increase, which in turn raised planners’ concern about GW availability, and the prospects of water scarcity and shortage

Measures and means to reduce GW (economic instruments, education of users, new water legislations, institutional reforms, etc.)

The evolution of GW management along this pathway is generally slow, albeit with varying levels between countries The GW Management Response

“Hydrology is important but institutions and policies determine how countries manage their ” – (World Bank, 2007)

NE governments are:

well advanced in dealing with physical resource issues, ...

making progress with management capacity,

but there is little progress with accountability mechanisms

This brings us to governance

equity in access to GW access and governance

minimum (viable) area irrigated (ha) G 0 0 5 10 W -100

D -200 e p -300 t -400 h Thank you for your attention

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