Chapter 1 Euphrates 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 1 - EUPHRATES RIVER BASIN Euphrates River Basin The Euphrates at the syrian-Turkish border, syria, 2009. source: adel samara. eXecutiVe suMMarY The Euphrates River is the longest river in last 70 years show a negative trend, indicating a Western asia. The river has three riparian decrease in mean annual flow to about 25 Bcm. countries, Iraq, syria and Turkey, and its basin The regulation of the Euphrates River is an is distributed among five countries with a total extreme example of how human intervention can estimated population of 23 million. impact a river regime. With the construction of most of the Euphrates stream-flow originates large water engineering structures in upstream from precipitation in the armenian Highlands; Turkey and syria, the Euphrates flow regime contributions by the remaining riparian has shifted towards less pronounced seasonal countries are generally small. In addition to variation. some intermittent streams, the sajur, Balikh Water use in the Euphrates Basin in Iraq, syria and Khabour are the main contributors to and Turkey focuses on irrigation, hydropower Euphrates flow in syria. and drinking water supply, with agriculture Historically, the natural annual flow of the consuming the largest share of water (more Euphrates at the syrian-Turkish border was than 70%). around 30 Bcm. However, data records over the 48 INVENTORY OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN WESTERN ASIA - PART I as a result, water quality has become a serious basin Facts issue on the Euphrates River: return flows from agricultural drainage cause salinity problems riParian COUNTRIES Iraq, syria, Turkey that are exacerbated along the river course. In addition, dumping of untreated sewage into Iraq 47%, Jordan 0.03%, the Euphrates and its tributaries contributes to basin area shares saudi arabia 2.97%, other forms of water pollution. syria 22%, Turkey 28% basin area 440,000 km2 The Euphrates is subject to two bilateral accords: an agreement between syria and riVer lenGth 2,786 km Turkey specifies the minimum average flow at the syrian-Turkish border; and an agreement Before damming between Iraq and syria determines the Mean annual (1930-1973): ~30 Bcm allocation of Euphrates water between those two FLOW VoluMe after damming countries. Riparian countries hold conflicting (1974-2010): ~25 Bcm positions on international water law and >60 (max. storage Main DAMs terminology that have prevented a basin-wide capacity 144 Bcm) agreement, with the exception of a Protocol for Technical and Economic cooperation that was ProJECTED ~2.3 million ha signed in 1980. irriGated area basin PoPULATION 23 million This resulted in the creation of the Joint Technical committee, which is no longer functional. Main aGreeMents 1987 – The Protocol on Economic cooperation is an interim agreement on water quantity which states that an annual 16 Bcm (500 m3/s) is to be released at the syrian-Turkish border. sYria - turkeY 2009 – The Turkish-syrian strategic cooperation council agreement addresses joint activities in the field of water such as the improvement of water quality, the construction of water pumping stations and joint dams as well as the development of joint water policies. 1990 – The syrian-Iraqi Water accord allocates the water of the Euphrates River iraQ - sYria according to a fixed ratio of 42% to syria and 58% to Iraq. 2009 – The memorandum of Understanding (moU) on Water is one of 48 moUs iraQ - turkeY signed between the two countries. Both sides agreed to share hydrological and meteorological information and exchange expertise in these areas. keY CONCERNS W ater QuantitY There is no basin-wide agreement and no common approach or consensus on how to regard the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers (i.e whether the two rivers should be considered part of a single watercourse system or as separate basins). In the past, the three riparians have disagreed on the division of water quantities and embarked upon individual water sector projects. Water use for human purposes (mainly irrigation and hydropower) increased sharply in the second half of the 20th century, resulting in a significant reduction in stream-flows and changes to the natural hydrological regime of the river. The highly variable climate results in variable water availability. Under the current water management regime, droughts form a major natural hazard that affect water supplies in the basin, as witnessed in recent decades in syria and Iraq. Water QualitY Pollution from agricultural and domestic sources seriously affects water quality. In Iraq, the Euphrates suffers from severe salinity that increases along the course of the river. 49 Sinop Kastamonu Samsun CHAPTER 1 - EUPHRATES RIVER BASIN Coruh Trabzon Rize Ordu Giresun AmasyaoVerVieW MaP Cankiri Corum 40°E Kars 45°E 50°E Georgia !H Armenia Azerbaijan Yerevan !H A z e r b a i j a n Baku Turkey Turkmenbashi 40°N 40°N Yozgat | A r m e n i a Erzincan Karasu Erzurum Iran Syria Sivas Lebanon Iraq Kirsehir Murat Jordan T u r k e y Kuwait Keban $ Murat Nevsehir Saudi Arabia Medik Lake Van Thoma EuphratesElazig Van $ $ Dicle (planned) Malatya $ Kralkizi $ $ Bitlis Karakaya Nigde Batman Botan Tabriz | Batman Caspian Sea Diyarbakir Ilisu (planned) $ Atatürk Sirnak Lake $ Tigris Suyu Orumiyeh Urumiyeh Sanliurfa Mardin Hezil Zakho Gaziantep Birecik ¸ Adana $¸ Feesh Khabour Greater Zab Mersin Hancagiz $ $Karkamis ¸ Dahuk $ ¸ Bekhme (planned) Sajur Hasakah East Kayacik $ Jarablus ¸¸ ¸ $ $ ¸ $ $ Mosul Sari Sajur Jallab ¸ Hasakah $ Hasakah West ¸ Antakya Tishreen $ | ¸ Lake Assad Bassel Al Asad Arbil Mosul Aleppo Greater Zab Balikh Raqqah ¸ $ Diwandtareh $ Euphrates ¸ Tehran $ Dukan Baath ¸ !H Tabqa $ Sulaymaniyah Semnan Dibis Tanjeru $ I r a n | Lesser Zab Khabour Kirkuk Nicosia Deir ez Zor Qeshlagh Ammochostos Hama Derbendikhan Sanandaj ¸$ Gheshlagh Gavoshan Larnaka I r a q Tigris 35°N $ 35°N Sirwan Gaveh Lemesos Adha im Qurahtu Adhaim$ Hamadan Qom Homs Tharthar Wadi Diyala ¸ ¸ Lake Qarasou Al Bukamal Tharthar $ | ¸ Hussaybah $ Wand ¸ Samarra Hemrin Haditha Samarra $ Kermanshah S y r i a $ Arak Diyala Hit $ Ilam ¸ Sidon ¸ Tharthar Damascus Wadi Howron Ramadi Baaqubah !H Saymareh Ramadi $ Fallujah Baghdad $ |!H¸ Gangir *#¸*#¸ Lake ¸ *# Habbaniyeh Sezer ¸ Fallujah Tigris Karkheh *# Kanjan Cham Haifa Tib Bakhtiari *#¸ Wadi al Ghudor $ Hindiyah Changooleh Dez *#¸*#¸ ¸ $ Esfahan Lake Kut Tigris Dez Nazareth Razzaza ¸ Dwairej Upper Gotvand $ ¸$ Karbala' Hillah Karkheh Nader (under construction) Main Outfall Kut $ Shah $ J o r d a n Wadi al Ubayyid Karun Shahrekord Tel Aviv-Yafo Drain An Najaf $ Ramla !H Amarah $ Yazd Ariha Karkheh Karun-3 Amman Ad Diwaniyah Masjed Karun-1 $ Soleyman Karun-4 Vanak Gaza City $ Hamidiyeh Nabk Wadi Hiab Samawah ¸ Beersheba | KhersahLordegan El'Arish Euphrates Qurnah Karun Ahvaz Ar'ar Marun Nasiriyah Shatt Saudi Arabia | al Arab Basrah Khorramshahr 30°N 30°N Euphrates River Basin K u w a i t ! !!!!!! ! !!!!!! International boundary ! !!!!!! River !!!!!!! GAP project !H Persian Gulf !H Capital Intermittent river, wadi Wetland Kuwait City Inventory of Shared Water Selected city, town Canal, irrigation tunnel $ Dam Ansab Abu Zenima Resources in Western Asia Bushehr Basin boundary Freshwater lake ¸ Monitoring station Disclaimer Saltwater lake | Climate station The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or El Tur µ Spring acceptance by the United Nations. 0 50 100 200 300 400 © UN-ESCWA - BGR Beirut 2013 km 50 40°E 45°E 50°E Ha'il Al Ghurdaqah Buraydah Ad Damman JiddAlAl-Muharraq Manamah Hafs Ar RifaSitrah Sinop Kastamonu Samsun Coruh INVENTORY OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN WESTERN ASIA - PART I Trabzon Rize Ordu Giresun Amasya Cankiri Corum 40°E Kars 45°E 50°E Georgia !H Armenia Azerbaijan Yerevan !H A z e r b a i j a n Baku Turkey Turkmenbashi 40°N 40°N Yozgat | A r m e n i a Erzincan Karasu Erzurum Iran Syria Sivas Lebanon Iraq Kirsehir Murat Jordan T u r k e y Kuwait Keban $ Murat Nevsehir Saudi Arabia Medik Lake Van Thoma EuphratesElazig Van $ $ Dicle (planned) Malatya $ Kralkizi $ $ Bitlis Karakaya Nigde Batman Botan Tabriz | Batman Caspian Sea Diyarbakir Ilisu (planned) $ Atatürk Sirnak Lake $ Tigris Suyu Orumiyeh Urumiyeh Sanliurfa Mardin Hezil Zakho Gaziantep Birecik ¸ Adana $¸ Feesh Khabour Greater Zab Mersin Hancagiz $ $Karkamis ¸ Dahuk $ ¸ Bekhme (planned) Sajur Hasakah East Kayacik $ Jarablus ¸¸ ¸ $ $ ¸ $ $ Mosul Sari Sajur Jallab ¸ Hasakah $ Hasakah West ¸ Antakya Tishreen $ | ¸ Lake Assad Bassel Al Asad Arbil Mosul Aleppo Greater Zab Balikh Raqqah ¸ $ Diwandtareh $ Euphrates ¸ Tehran $ Dukan Baath ¸ !H Tabqa $ Sulaymaniyah Semnan Dibis Tanjeru $ I r a n | Lesser Zab Khabour Kirkuk Nicosia Deir ez Zor Qeshlagh Ammochostos Hama Derbendikhan Sanandaj ¸$ Gheshlagh Gavoshan Larnaka I r a q Tigris 35°N $ 35°N Sirwan Gaveh Lemesos Adhaim Qurahtu Adhaim$ Hamadan Qom Homs Tharthar Wadi Diyala ¸ ¸ Lake Qarasou Al Bukamal Tharthar $ | ¸ Hussaybah $ Wand ¸ Samarra Hemrin Haditha Samarra $ Kermanshah S y r i a $ Arak Diyala Hit $ Ilam ¸ Sidon ¸ Tharthar Damascus Wadi Howron Ramadi Baaqubah !H Saymareh Ramadi $ Fallujah Baghdad $ |!H¸ Gangir *#¸*#¸ Lake ¸ *# Habbaniyeh Sezer ¸ Fallujah Tigris Karkheh *# Kanjan Cham Haifa Tib Bakhtiari *#¸ Wadi al Ghudor $ Hindiyah