hydro-look for the arabic - israeli conflict dr.sahar ahmed haridy cairo university, faculty of...

HYDRO-LOOK FOR THE ARABIC - ISRAELI CONFLICT

Dr.Sahar Ahmed HaridyCairo University, Faculty of Engineering,

Hydraulics and Irrigartion Department

HYDRO-LOOK FOR THE ARABIC - ISRAELI CONFLICT Sahar HARIDY9 of March 2006

• Jerusalem• Borders• Settlements• Refugees• Shared water resources

The Five High Priority Issues in the Arab – Israeli Conflict:


The situation now in the Arab States Region

The Situation Now in the Arab States Region

• Out of the 20 countries 11 already are using more than half of their water resources.

• Libya, The Arabian Peninsula and Oman are using 100 % .

• The rainy season is short, between 6-8 months a year, and rainfall varies between 250 - 400 mm annually, which is insufficient for basic agriculture which requires at least 400 mm of regular rainfall.


The situation in 2025


Topography of Palestine


Palestine Climate

Average annual rainfall, in millimeters.

• Mediterranean Climate (dry summer, wet winter)

• 70 % of the total annual rainfall in December, January and February

• 75% of the rain are lost through evaporation and runoff

• Most of the rain are in the coastal and on the mountain plain


Water Resources

Surface water :

Jordan River Basin

Ground water:

Coastal Aquifer

Mountain Aquifer


Jordan River Basin

• 360 kms long

• Catchment area 18.300 km2.• Average annual flow 1.200

mcm. (Abu Faris 1992)

• It satisfies 50% of Israel and Jordan water demand and 5% of Lebanon and Syria


MOUNTAIN AQUIFER

• The annual renewable water ranges from 600 mcm to 650 mcm.

• High quality water from depth 200 –600 meters.

• It provides about 50% of Israel’s drinking water.


COASTAL AQUIFER

• Its annual safe yield 60-65 mcm. (Taha ,1990).

• Around 1.700 wells pumping water from depth 40-150 meters.

• Since 1967, the aquifer has been overpumped by rate 90-100 mcm. (Walid and Isaac ,1995).

• Bad water quality.


Water Resources Allocation (Jordan River Basin)

Modified after USIS., 1991.


Water Resources Allocation

Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem.



Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem.

Total amount excludingSettler:

I 1700 mcm/yearP 219 mcm/year



3 million Palestinians and 6 million Israelis live in historical Palestine.

Area: 78 percent Israel, 22 percent Palestinians.

The Palestinians consume only about two percent of water supply.

Israel has taken physical control over essentially all water facilities serving the Palestinians(85% of all the available water).



Palestine are denied all access to the Jordan River's water to the east, and to most productive zones in the Westenr aquifer basin to the west.

The U.N. reports that a Palestinian of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip consumes less than one-half the quantity of water for domestic use as an Israeli inhabitant of a settlement in the occupied territories

The diversion of the waters from Lake Tiberias for

the purpose feeding the Israeli National Water Carrier (Mekeroth).



In the West Bank, Military Orders issued by the Israeli occupation authorities have effectively prohibited Palestinians from digging wells and improving their water resources since 1967, while at the same time wells have been dug by Israelis straight into the water resources underneath these wells, lowering the water level.

Palestinians pay high prices for the water they receive from the Mekeroth, about $1.20 per m³, compared to the $0.40 per m³ Israelis pay for domestic use and $0.16 per m³ for agriculture.


WATER RESOURCES ALLOCATION

For example, 75 percent of water resources have been devoted to agriculture in Israel, a sectoral area that makes up less than 6 percent

Agricultural water use (as % of total consumption) 75 62

Total annual quantity of water used for irrigation (106 m³)

1275 140

Population 1990 (millions) 4.559 2.038 Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem


Processes of Water Pollution

Caused by the following: over-pumping, sewage infiltration, leachate from waste piles, industrial spills and wastes, agricultural chemicals, fuel leakages, construction, transportation and urbanization.

Salinization by salt water intrusion, which eliminates at least 10 million m³ per year annually, thus reducing the availability of fresh water sources. As an example, nearly 20% of the coastal aquifer cannot be utilized due to salinity. The increase

The increase


Processes of Water Pollution

Jung et al., 2000


The Israeli Dreams Large scale desalinization projects, often linked with

hydroelectric power generation: Red Sea Dead Sea conduit Mediterranean Dead Sea conduit

Water diversion projects: from Lebanon's Litani River to the Jordan headwaters from the Nile to Israel or Gaza, with a pipeline going

underneath the Suez Canal

Water conveyance projects: oil tanker conveyance of Turkish or Yugoslavian waters Conveyance of Turkish or Norwegian waters in

enormous balloon like "medusa bags"


MOUNTAIN AQUIFER


Jordan River Basin

hydro-look for the arabic - israeli conflict dr.sahar ahmed haridy cairo university, faculty of...

Documents

water resourcessurface

arabic israeli conflict

arab israeli conflict

water facilities

available water

water resources allocation3

jordan water demand

high quality water