Chapter 6 Jordan River Basin INVENTORY OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN WESTERN ASIA (ONLINE VERSION) How to cite UN-ESCWA and BGR (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia; Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe). 2013. Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia. Beirut. CHAPTER 6 - JORDAN RIVER BASIN Jordan River Basin The Jordan River at one of its narrowest points, Jordan, 1992. Source: Ed Kashi/VII. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Originating from the Anti-Lebanon and Mount Lake Tiberias remains nearly natural, Hermon mountain ranges, the Jordan River but flow rates in the downstream part of covers a distance of 223 km from north to south the river have decreased sharply in the last and discharges into the Dead Sea. The river has 50 years due to the construction of a series five riparians: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine of infrastructure and diversion schemes and Syria. established in the basin. For instance, the mean annual historic flow of the Yarmouk that was The Jordan River headwaters (Hasbani, Banias estimated at 450-500 MCM in the 1950s has and Dan) are fed by groundwater and seasonal today decreased to 83-99 MCM. The current surface runoff. The Lower Jordan River originally annual discharge of the Lower Jordan River received its main inflow from the outlet of Lake into the Dead Sea is estimated at 20-200 MCM Tiberias and the Yarmouk River, the largest compared to the historic 1,300 MCM. Moreover, tributary, as well as from several wadis and water quality in the Lower Jordan River is aquifers. The flow of the Upper Jordan River into very low. 170 INVENTORY OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN WESTERN ASIA - PART I Water use in the Jordan River basin is unevenly The quality of water in the Jordan River has developed. Palestine and Syria have no access severely deteriorated in recent decades. While to the Jordan River; hence their use of water the headwaters are relatively unaffected, resources from the river itself is nil. However, the Lower Jordan River consists primarily of Syria has built several dams in the Yarmouk untreated sewage and agricultural return flows, River sub-basin, which is part of the Jordan groundwater seepage, as well as brackish River basin. The country uses about 450 MCM/yr water from springs diverted into the river away of surface and groundwater resources in the from the Lake Tiberias area. The Lower Jordan basin, mainly for agricultural purposes. Annual River in particular is extremely polluted. Other abstractions in the Hasbani sub-basin in environmental concerns include water-level Lebanon are estimated at 9-10 MCM, which are fluctuations in Lake Tiberias and the associated mainly used for domestic water supply. Israel is risk of saline water intrusion from below, and, the largest user of water from the Jordan River more importantly, the decline of the Dead Sea, basin, with an annual withdrawal of between which all threaten the stability of the basin 580 and 640 MCM. It is also the only user of ecosystem. water from Lake Tiberias. Jordan uses about 290 MCM/yr of water from the Jordan River Since the early 20th century, numerous attempts basin. Water diverted from the Yarmouk River to foster cooperation between basin riparians to the King Abdullah Canal is used for irrigation have been hampered by the regional political of crops in the Jordan Valley and for domestic conflict which continues to stand in the way of use in Amman. Overall, the Jordan River basin any basin-wide agreement on water. A number has an estimated total irrigated area of 100,000- of bilateral agreements encourage cooperation 150,000 ha of which around 30% is located in over water between Israel and Jordan, and Israel, Jordan and Syria, 5% in Palestine and 2% Israel and Palestine. in Lebanon. The Dead Sea, Jordan, 2010. Source: Martin Schäfer. 171 CHAPTER 6 - JORDAN RIVER BASIN BASIN FACTS RIPARIAN COUNTRIES Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria BASIN AREAS SHARES Israel 10%, Jordan 40%, Lebanon 4%, Palestine 9%, Syria 37% BASIN AREA 18,285 km2 RIVER LENGTH 223 km Natural conditions (1950s) Upper Jordan River: 605 MCM Yarmouk River: 450-500 MCM Lower Jordan River: 1,300 MCM MEAN ANNUAL FLOW VOLUME Current conditions Upper Jordan River: 616 MCM Yarmouk River: 83-99 MCM Lower Jordan River: 20-200 MCM MAIN DAMS 45 (max. storage capacity ~390 MCM) PROJECTED IRRIGATED AREA 100,000-150,000 ha BASIN POPULATION 7.18 million MAIN AGREEMENTS 1953 and 1987 – On the use of the Yarmouk River, including the construction of JORDAN - SYRIA the Wahdah Dam and 25 dams in Syria. The agreement also establishes a joint commission for the implementation of the provisions on the Wahdah Dam. 1994 – Annex II of the Treaty of Peace concerns water allocation and storage of the ISRAEL - JORDAN Jordan and Yarmouk Rivers, and calls for efforts to prevent water pollution as well as the establishment of a Joint Water Committee. 1995 – Article 40 of the Oslo II political agreement states that Israel recognizes ISRAEL - PALESTINE Palestinian water rights in the West Bank only and establishes the Joint Water (PLO) Committee to manage West Bank waters and develop new supplies. Palestinians are denied access to the Jordan River under this agreement. KEY CONCERNS WATER QUANTITY Ensuring adequate quantities of water for all riparians is a key challenge in the basin given the relatively small volume of water available and the large population. River flow has been greatly reduced over the years as a result of increased exploitation of water resources in the basin. The rapid decline of the Dead Sea is an indicator that the region’s ecosystem is at risk. WATER QUALITY Water quality rapidly deteriorates along the course of the Jordan River and its lower portion displays extremely high salinity and pollution rates. GEOPOLITICAL The question of water sharing in the Jordan River basin is inextricably linked to the ongoing conflicts between Israel and Syria, Israel and Lebanon, and Israel and Palestine, and while a wide range of issues are at stake, control over water in the basin has added to existing regional tensions. 172 INVENTORY OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN WESTERN ASIA - PART I Al Labweh OVERVIEW MAP Baalbek 35°E 36°E Georgia !H Armenia Azerbaijan Beirut Zahle Turkey Iran Syria Lebanon Litani Iraq Sidon Lake Qaraoun Jordan !H Kuwait L e b a n o n Damascus Hasbani Saudi Arabia Hasbaya E Nabatiye Mount Hermon Litani Ain Chebaa Tyre Wazzaniµ Dan Mediterranean Sea Hula Wadi ¸ Sede Nehemia Banias Raqqad Quneytra ¸ $ 33°N Kudnah S y r i a 33°N Ghadir al Bustan$ Jordan Jisr al Tabgha $ Allan Tasil Lake Raqqad $ Yarmouk Tiberias $ Saham al Golan $Wadi Adwan sub-basin $ $ Sheikh Miskin Abidin Haifa Tiberias $ ¸ Arram Room$ Jawlayeen Nazareth $ Wadi As Suwayda Degania Dhahab Yarmouk $ Nahal ¸ YarmoukWahdah Wadi Wadi Arab I s r a e l Tavor¸ $ Dar'a Ghariyah al Sharqiyah $ Wadi Nahal Wadi Arab Irbid Wadi $ Dar'a East Zaydi Harod Wadi Ziqleb Sahwat al Khidr Shallala Jenin $ Sama al Sirhan Carrier Ajloun Mafraq Water Tulkarm Abdullah Canal Jerash King National Nablus Jordan El Fara Zarqa $ P a l e s t i n e King Talal (West Bank) Zarqa Tel Aviv-Yafo Salt $Karameh 32°N Amman 32°N Shuayb !H Ramallah Wadi Ramla Jericho $ Azraq Kafrein !H Jerusalem Madaba Bethlehem J o r d a n Wala$ Gaza City Hebron D e a d Wala Wadi Mujib Mujib S e a Wadi $ An Nabk Be'er Sheva Karak Araba 31°N Wadi Hassan 31°N Wadi 0 12.5 25 50 75 100 km Jordan River Basin At Tafilah International boundary River $ Dam Armistice Demarcation Line Intermittent river, wadi¸ MonitorinG station !H Capital Canal, irriGation tunnel Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia Selected city, town Freshwater lake Disclaimer Basin boundary µ SprinG The desiGnations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat Main shared sub-basin boundary E Mountain of the United Nations concerninG the leGal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its auhorities, or Zone of aGricultural development concerninG the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. © UN-ESCWA - BGR Beirut 2013 173 CHAPTER 6 - JORDAN RIVER BASIN CONTENTS GEOGRAPHY 177 River course 177 Climate 178 Population 179 HYDROLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS 180 Headwaters of the Upper Jordan River 181 Upper Jordan River 184 The Yarmouk River 187 Lower Jordan River 189 Flow regime regulation in the Jordan River basin 191 WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 192 Development & use: Lebanon 194 Development & use: Syria 196 Development & use: Israel 197 Development & use: Jordan 201 Development & use: Palestine 202 Water quality & environmental issues 204 AGREEMENTS, COOPERATION & OUTLOOK 210 Agreements: Jordan & Syria 210 Agreements: Israel & Palestine 211 Agreements: Israel & Jordan 212 Cooperation: Jordan & Syria 212 Cooperation: Israel & Palestine 212 Cooperation: Israel & Jordan 212 Outlook 213 NOTES 214 BIBLIOGRAPHY 217 174 INVENTORY OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN WESTERN ASIA - PART I FIGURES FIGURE 1. Sketch of the Jordan-Yarmouk River System 177 FIGURE 2. Distribution of the Jordan River basin area 177 FIGURE 3. Mean monthly climate diagrams for Amman, Jordan, and Jerusalem 178 FIGURE 4. Mean annual precipitation in the Jordan River basin 178 FIGURE 5. The Hasbani, Banias and Dan sub-basins 181 a) Mean annual discharge and b) specific mean annual discharge of FIGURE 6. 182 the Hasbani, Banias and Dan Rivers (1944-2008) Specific discharge anomaly time series of the Hasbani, Banias and FIGURE 7. 182 Dan Rivers (1944-2008) Mean monthly flow regime of the Hasbani, Banias and Dan Rivers FIGURE 8.