Report No. 28766 - LE Republic Of Lebanon Public Disclosure Authorized Policy Note on Irrigation Sector Sustainability November 2003 The World Bank Public Disclosure Authorized Water, Environment, Social, and Rural Development Group Middle East and North Africa Region and Agriculture and Rural Development Department Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Contents Preface ........................................................................................................................................... vii Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................................................ viii Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ ix 1. Introduction............................................................................................................................. 1 2. Water Resources....................................................................................................................... 2 WATER DEMAND ............................................................................................................................6 For Irrigation Water................................................................................................................... 6 For Domestic and Industrial Use................................................................................................. 7 3. The Agriculture Sector........................................................................................................... 10 ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE ECONOMY......................................................................................10 AGRICULTURE IN THE LAST FIVE-YEAR PLAN.................................................................................11 4. Main Features of Irrigated Agriculture .................................................................................. 13 WATER AND LAND USE .................................................................................................................13 EXISTING AND PROPOSED IRRIGATION SCHEMES.............................................................................15 CROPPING PATTERNS.....................................................................................................................17 5. Current State of Water Quality and Pollution Control........................................................... 19 RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................................................22 6. Institutional Aspects ............................................................................................................... 25 WATER LAW AND WATER RIGHTS .................................................................................................25 ORGANIZATION OF THE WATER SECTOR.........................................................................................25 Historical Perspective .............................................................................................................. 25 The Current Situation............................................................................................................... 30 Weaknesses of the Present System ............................................................................................. 32 RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................................................33 7. Operation and Maintenance, Tariffs, and Cost Recovery....................................................... 35 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE....................................................................................................35 WATER TARIFFS AND COST RECOVERY ..........................................................................................36 RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................................................38 8. Financial and Economic Aspects............................................................................................. 41 COMPETITIVENESS AND SUSTAINABILITY OF IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE...........................................42 AGRICULTURAL MARKETING.........................................................................................................44 RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................................................44 AGRICULTURAL SERVICES: RESEARCH, EXTENSION AND CREDIT.....................................................44 Agricultural Research............................................................................................................... 44 Extension................................................................................................................................. 45 AGRICULTURAL TRADE AND TRADE AGREEMENTS.........................................................................45 iii 9. The Public Investment Program in Irrigated Agriculture ....................................................... 47 MOEW INVESTMENT PROGRAM ....................................................................................................47 LRA INVESTMENT PROGRAM.........................................................................................................48 RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................................................52 10. Strategic Choices Facing Irrigated Agriculture .................................................................. 53 TECHNICAL ASPECTS.....................................................................................................................53 FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS.............................................................................................54 INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS...............................................................................................................55 ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS............................................................................................................56 AREAS OF POSSIBLE BANK SUPPORT ..............................................................................................57 Appendix 1 Overview of Irrigation Schemes in Lebanon............................................................... 59 Appendix 2 Water Resources and Use in Lebanon......................................................................... 64 Appendix 3 Pollution and Treatment of Water Sources in Lebanon.............................................. 67 Appendix 4 His torical Review of Water Laws in Lebanon............................................................. 69 Appendix 5 Operation & Maintenance of Irrigation Systems ........................................................ 71 References...................................................................................................................................... 75 Tables TABLE 2.1 CATCHMENT AREAS OF THE MAJOR RIVERS OF LEBANON ......................................3 TABLE 2.2 EXISTING SCHEMED AND SMALL SCALE IRRIGATION AREAS (HA)............................6 TABLE 2.3 PROPOSED IRRIGATION EFFICIENCIES ...................................................................7 TABLE 2.4 PROJECTED WATER DEMAND FOR IRRIGATION BY MOHAFAZA ...............................8 TABLE 2.5 TOTAL ANNUAL WATER DEMAND AND AVAILABLE SUPPLY....................................9 TABLE 3.1 GROSS VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION.................................................11 TABLE 4.1 ESTIMATES OF WATER RESOURCES UTILIZATION .................................................13 TABLE 4.2 LAND RESOURCES AND LAND USE (1,000 HA) IN LEBANON, 1998.........................13 TABLE 4.3 FARM LAND IN FOUR SELECTED DISTRICTS AND ENTIRE LEBANON, 1998 ..............14 TABLE 4.4 PRESENT LAND USE...........................................................................................15 TABLE 4.5 IRRIGATED AREAS.............................................................................................15 TABLE 4.6 PROPOSED AND ONGOING IRRIGATION SCHEMES .................................................16 TABLE 4.7 CROPPING PATTERN IN THE MOHAFAZATS..........................................................17 TABLE 5.1 CHLORIDE AND SODIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN 31 WELLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY...21 TABLE 6.1 REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITIES ........................................................................27 TABLE 6.2 LOCAL WATER COMMITTEES FORMED BETWEEN 1984 AND 1990 ..........................29 TABLE 6.3 RECENTLY CREATED WATER AUTHORITIES .........................................................31 TABLE 6.4 WATER AUTHORITIES GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS............................................34 TABLE 8.1 IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS (LL BILLION), 1999-2001 .45 TABLE 10.1 MOEW’S INVESTMENT PROGRAM , 2003-2030 ..................................................48 TABLE 10.2 LRA’S INVESTMENT PROGRAM , 2003-2020 ......................................................49 TABLE 10.3 SUMMARY OF LEBANON’S CURRENT IRRIGATION INVESTMENT PROGRAM , 2002-2030....................................................................................51 TABLE A1.1 EXISTING SCHEMED IRRIGATION......................................................................59 TABLE A1.2 PROPOSED AND/OR ONGOING IRRIGATION SCHEMES .........................................62