UNESCO G-WADI MEETING ON WATER HARVESTING ALEPPO SYRIA 20-22nd NOVEMBER 2006 FINAL REPORT UNESCO G-WADI MEETING ON WATER HARVESTING ALEPPO SYRIA 20-22nd NOVEMBER 2006 FINAL REPORT Prof W M Edmunds and C Cardona (editors) DfID UK and UNESCO (Tehran and Cairo) are kindly acknowledged for their support of the workshop. Contents Contents 1 1 Meeting Background - The Unesco G-Wadi Network 3 1.1 Objectives 3 1.2 Local arrangements and scientific requirements 3 2 Main conference report 4 2.1 Opening remarks 4 2.2 Main International Programmes 4 2.3 Session 1: Historical and Traditional Perspectives 5 2.4 Session 2: Environmental and Societal Context. 8 2.5 Session 3: Case Studies and Modern Practice 10 3 Conclusions and recommendations 18 3.1 Recommendations for the G_WADI website 18 3.2 Meeting Conclusions and Achievements 19 Appendix 1 Programme and Timetable 23 Appendix 2 Template for RWH Case studies 27 Appendix 3 Meeting presentations and photo material index (CD) 28 Appendix 4 2004 Yazd Declaration on Management of Aquifer Recharge (MAR) and Water Harvesting (WH) 29 Appendix 5 Participants list 31 Appendix 6 Meeting Papers 35 ACSAD activity in the field of water resources management and rainwater harvesting. 37 A Survey of the Historical Evolution of Qanats in Iran 43 The value of a raindrop. Traditional RWH systems, particularly in the arid and semiarid regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat. 49 Defining sustainable yields for rainwater harvesting 599 Water harvesting context in the Indian Subcontinent 633 An Integrated Approach towards Assessing the Feasibility of Domestic Rainwater Harvesting in Malta 711 Managed Aquifer Recharge: Lessons learned from the AGRAR study, India. 1033 Artificial recharge to groundwater in an overdeveloped watershed – A case study of semi – arid region of Maharashtra , India 1111 Water quality in the evaluation and effectiveness of RWH and MAR schemes– an overview 1199 1 The Potentials and Impacts of Water Harvesting Projects in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions (based on lessen learnt from some Implemented cases in Iran) 1277 Use of rainwater harvesting for alleviating poverty in rural areas. ACSAD experience in the Arab region 1377 Water Harvesting Techniques in the Arab Region 1399 Indigenous knowledge for using and managing water harvesting techniques in Yemen 1555 Holistic Approach to Rain Water Harvesting in the Aravali Hills, Rajasthan India 1699 Rainwater Harvesting in Cholistan Desert: A Case Study of Pakistan 1777 2 1 Meeting Background - The UNESCO G-Wadi Network The strategic objective of the G-WADI Network is to strengthen the global capacity to manage the water resources of arid and semi-arid areas. Its primary aim is to build an effective global community through integration of selected existing material from networks, centres, organizations and individuals. The Network promotes international and regional cooperation in these areas. Interest was expressed at the Second Global meeting of G-WADI in Paris 2005 that Water Harvesting should become a new web-based initiative for 2006. This would encompass both rainwater harvesting (RWH) and managed aquifer recharge (MAR). The collection and storage of rainwater has been a traditional activity in the Indian Subcontinent as well as in countries of the Middle East and North Africa for more than two millennia. Water harvesting is also now a growing practice especially in many semi-arid zones and has a strong tradition especially in West Asia and Middle East. Water harvesting is a key activity in helping poorer communities in rural areas to find water security, thereby promoting sustainable livelihoods. However water harvesting at many scales is also taking place in urban and rural environments. 1.1 OBJECTIVES The purpose of the Aleppo workshop was to develop a G-WADI programme on Water Harvesting and with the following objectives: 1. Linking the UNESCO G-WADI activity with those of other International Organizations active in the same field, including the IAH (International Association of Hydrogeologists), IWHA (International Water History Association) ICQHS (International Centre on Qanats and Historic Hydraulic Structures) and others in the region including ICARDA and ACSAD (Arab Centre for Semi Arid Zones and Drylands 2. To compare the practice of RWH across the regions of the “Old World” as a basis for inter- comparison with other global semi-arid regions 3. Summary of the state of the art through a series of invited talks and discussion 4. Develop a programme of case studies from invited contributions and best practice from all regions, especially studies which have proper validation 5. Consider ways in which the web site may be used to disseminate and discuss design criteria for water harvesting, raising awareness and link to traditional technologies where water harvesting is well known 6. Consider use of a systems approach to link small-scale activities in rainwater harvesting, surface water storage and MAR. The opportunity also exists to apply satellite based tools (HYDIS for example) to consider rainfall patterns and drought index. 7. To generate links and interest with institutions, NGOs working in the field of RWH and MAR in the Asia–Middle-East–Mediterranean region as basis for extension and dissemination worldwide. 1.2 LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS AND SCIENTIFIC REQUIREMENTS The meeting was coordinated by Oxford University with the local arrangements and programme being organized by ICARDA. The meeting was held at ICARDA Headquarters (some 30km from Aleppo). The programme is included as Appendix 1 and the full list of participants as Appendix 4. Since the purpose of the workshop was to create a web activity on the subject of RWH, participants were invited to submit titles and short abstracts of their presentations in advance of the meeting. Oral presentations were invited as Powerpoint slides and 4-page written papers were also contributed. Participants were also invited to bring along any printed materials on water harvesting, particularly items meant to provide guidance, along good pictures, diagrams, video, maps that might be useful in developing the web site. 3 2 Main conference report 2.1 OPENING REMARKS Dr. Theib Oweis and Dr Mahmoud Solh (ICARDA), Dr Abdin Salih (UNSECO) and Prof. Mike Edmunds (G-WADI) highlighted the significance of the UNESCO G-WADI meeting on rainwater harvesting in particular to semi-arid and arid dry lands such as those presented by the participants during the seminar. It was pointed out that the very existence of the UNESCO G-WADI established network revealed that water resources are no longer seen to be a mere commodity but a scarce resource that requires careful management. Rainwater harvesting in particular was seen to be key in dry areas since its immediate implications are to increase yields and improve the livelihoods of dry area farmers. The importance of the technology of the Qanat was also stressed. The restructuring and enhancement of qanat technologies in the Middle East and India in particular, sends one clear message that there is a reinvention of the wheel and a rediscovery of ancient RWH technologies. In this way it was recognised that indigenous knowledge is precious and should be integrated harmoniously with modern technologies. Finally the dominance of climate change, its consequence of placing countries into jeopardy due to less reliable water supplies and increased uncertainties has meant that rainwater harvesting should all the more be studied and adopted as a valuable augmentation or alternative to conventional water supply sources In light of the above the UNESCO-G-WADI meeting aimed at capturing the importance of RWH systems as was pioneered in the old times and simultaneously allowing the dissemination of information so that the Old and New Worlds could learn from oneanother. 2.2 MAIN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES UNESCO The International Hydrological Programme is a UNESCO initiative that started at the beginning of the water decade. It concentrated initially on Research and Development but gradually moved on to its 6th Phase which meant the identification of most crucial water related areas and identification of major pressures that threaten waters quality and quantity status. Several groundwater initiatives were evoked such as MAR, HELP, FRIEND and WWAP, PPCP/WAP and also the highly regarded World Water Assessment Programme on the State of World’s Freshwater Resources. Such projects have now spread across the world, and in so doing tip the balance in favour of cooperation and simultaneously away from potential conflict to enhance water security. IHP 7 (2008-2013) will be looking at 4 approved themes which are: (i) Global changes (ii) Governance (iii) Ecohydrology (iv) Water quality G_WADI Following UNESCO’s achievements the main GWADI activities were presented. These include several from information system networking by means of its website (http://www.gwadi.org/), workshop initiatives such as the Isotopic and Chemical Tracers in Hydrology to facilitate the application of chemical tools and state-of-the art isotopic tracers in semi-arid and arid areas; international modelling workshops such as the last one held in Roorkee in early 2005 to provide modelling support and access to appropriate software tools as well as provide web-based training 4 materials. In addition to this there is also the WMO-GWADI initiative to apply climatic research as well as the setting up of the steering committee. Plans for the future include amongst others the translation of the website into several languages. By means of these several initiatives UNESCO has facilitated the setting up a network between diverse organisations. The valuable training role of the UNESCO-IHE Education Institute for water research at Delft was also acknowledged. IAH-MAR The IAH-MAR programme (www.iah.org/recharge) exists to facilitate exchange, research dissemination and to promote joint projects between hydrogeologists and others. Ian Gale presented an overview of recent activities and how IAH-MAR was interested in linkage with the G-WADI programme.