arab riparian jrb initiative a palestinian perspective

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August 16-22, 2009 World Water Week Stockholm

Arab Riparian JRB Initiative Seminar

Arab Riparian JRB Initiative: A Palestinian Perspective

By:

Marwan Haddad

Professor and Director,

Water and Environmental Studies Institute (WESI)

An-Najah National University, Nablus-Palestine

Historic

Palestine

August 16-22 ,2009 2 World Water Week Stockholm

Arab Riparian JRB Initiative

Seminar



Seminar

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Part I: Water Situation in Palestine

And the Need for


August 16-22, 2009 4 World Water Week Stockholm


Seminar

Occupied Palestinian Territory

Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) consists of the West Bank including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Total Population of OPT is 3,8 millions (WB=2,4, GS=1,4)

Administrative: 686 Localities

54 Urban

603 Rural

29 Refugee Camps

Average annual rainfall: 409 mm

Average rainy days:43 days

Climate; Mediterranean, Summer (hot & dry), Winter (moderate & wet)



Water Resources in Palestine

• The main water resources in

Palestine are:

– Surface Water “the Jordan River”.

– Groundwater.

– Runoff.



Natural Recharge of the Palestinian Aquifer Basins

West Bank Basin Recharge

Basin Oslo2 Values

Eastern 172

Northeastern 145

Western 362

Total 679



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August 16-22, 2009 World Water Week Stockholm Arab

Riparian JRB Initiative Seminar

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JRB Water Division Plans



August 16-22 ,2009 World Water Week Stockholm


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Water Supply and Sanitation

281 Rural Localities without water supply network

None of Rural localities with 100% water supply network coverage

All localities w/fixed water supply quota (~50-55 l/c-d for Dom. Purposes)

Partial Coverage of sanitation services in urban areas, minimal if any sanitation services in rural areas



served Communities in the West Bank-Served and Non

142 Partially Served

Partially

Served

214 Mostly

214 Mostly Served 281

Un - Served

Number of Communities

in the West Bank

637

Served

356

non- - served

281

( 60 %) Mostly

Served

356

( 40 %) Partially

Served

356

281 Non-Served



)1Importance of JRB Water to Palestinians (

The Palestinian share of the JRB was targeted by Israel

since the first day of occupation in June 1967, 140

pumping stn(s) and western Ghore canal (15 km) were

demolished, and Palestinians were prohibited from

reaching there land (declared as military zone), therefore,

• the area now is with the lowest population density in the

OPT.

• It is the least developed,

• with high rates of illiteracy,

• and very poor public services.



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)2Importance of JRB Water to Palestinians (

The Jordan Valley (Western Ghore) represents the most

potential area for development in the OPT.

Population Distribution: This area could easily absorb about

200-300 thousands of Palestinian

Food Security: In the Western Ghore area, there are 210 Km2

of fertile land suitable for irrigated agriculture. This is

about one third of the total area suitable for irrigated

agriculture in the West Bank and more than twice the area

which is currently irrigated.



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Part II: The Initiative



The Beauty of the Initiative

Policy makers, donors, NGO’s, water

managers, all are intrigued by the

sound of the initiative as new form of

cooperation in the face of conflict

management and disaster response



The Definition of the Initiative

It is a voluntary (or statutory) decision making

body comprising different stakeholders

whom

• perceive the same resources management

problem,

• realize there interdependence for solving it,

• and come together to agree on action

strategies to solving it.



What we are looking for

• NOT institutions with offices, NOT

promulgating by-laws, NOT secretaries-

overhead, etc

• BUT inferred pattern of behavior and

interaction paralleled with more

knowledge and understanding of the

problem and searching and promoting

options for solving it. August 16-22 ,2009 20 World Water Week Stockholm


What the initiative will do for the stakeholders

Justified Questions that Need Answers

• Do it make a difference?

• Is it compatible with integrated water resources management?

• Can its performance be improved?

• Is it sustainable?



Initiative Main Goals

• Integration of efforts and activities

(multi-layered system approach to

basin management)

• Participation of all riparian's

• and enhance basin's management

August 16-22, 2009 22 World Water Week Stockholm Arab

Riparian JRB Initiative Seminar

Integration

Integrating

• Qualitative and quantitative integration between

surface and groundwater

• Integration between water and land use

• Integration between water and stakeholders interest

• And integrating relations between water institutions





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News & Announcements

Events Calendar

Documents/Report/etc

ALL ABOUT RIVER BASIN

Monitoring conditions at each riparian

side RIVER BASIN

GEOGRAPHY/HYDROLOGY

Integrated River Basin Management

Call for South East Asian Case Studies

Community Involvement

Demonstration Projects

Education/Public Awareness

Hydrological Modeling

Planning Procedures

Policies and Legal Instruments

Restoration and Monitoring

Transboundary/International

Cooperation

Sustainable Land, Water Use and

Management

Agriculture

Fisheries

Forestry

Dam Management

Water Resource Management

Wetland Conservation

Water, Food and Environment

Environmental Impacts

RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT

Conferences, Seminars and

Workshops

RIVER BASIN RESOURCES

http://www.riverbasin.org/newsmaster.cfm?&action=news&menuid=45

http://www.riverbasin.org/eventsmaster.cfm?&action=Eventcal&menuid=46

http://www.riverbasin.org/newsmaster.cfm?&action=news&menuid=113

http://www.riverbasin.org/index.cfm?&menuid=39




http://www.riverbasin.org/index.cfm?&menuid=55&parentid=49

























Some Initiative Prerequisites

It needs a

• Radical change in management culture:

• Common vision

• Adaptive capacity

• Resources,

• Resource Interdependence

• Balance

• Output

• Outcomes



:dThe Initiative Woul



1. Resolve potential conflict(s),

2. Enhance cooperation and

sharing ,

3. and restore justice, values,

peace and stability for all

riparian nations

The Cost of Not Cooperating

No Initiative –

arab riparian jrb initiative a palestinian perspective

Documents

importance of jrb water

surface water

water situation

main water resources

water supply network

rural areas august16

historic palestine august16

winter moderate wet