HYDRO POLITICAL AND TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE WATERS IN THE MIDDLE

EAST

by

ÖZDEN BİLEN

SLIDE 1

Country Countries’ contribution to the water potential

(km3)

Water allocation according to the 1959

agreement

Egypt 0 55.5

Sudan 0 18.5

Ethopia 72 0

Other Upstream Countries

12 0

Evaporation Losses - 10

Total 84 84

Table 1 – Nile Water Allocation

Source : Whittington, D., McClelland, E. (1991)

SLIDE 2

SLIDE 3

SLIDE 4

Turkey Syria Iraq

Euphrates 35 31.6 (% 90) 3.4 (%10) 0Tigris 52.7 21.3 (% 40) 0 31.4 (%60)

Total 87.7 52.9 (%60) 3.4 (%4) 31.4 (%36)

Contribution of Countries ( km³ and %)River

Average Annual Flow

(km3)

AVERAGE ANNUAL FLOWS AND CONTRIBUTION OF RIPARIAN COUNTRIES

EUPHRATES%10

SYRIA

%90

TURKEY

%0

IRAQ

+ TIGRIS%0

SYRIA

%40

TURKEY

%60

IRAQ

= EUPHRATES+TIGRIS%3.4

SYRIA

%60

TURKEY

%31.4

IRAQ

SLIDE 5

(hectares)Syria Iraq

Official 773000 1952000Kolars 375000 1294000

397000 1550000USAID Report 320000Anderson 200000-500000Beaumont 400000-800000

CONFLICTING DATA ON THE TOTAL IRRIGATION PROJECT AREAS FED BY THE EUPHRATES

Source : Bilen, Ö. (2000)

SLIDE 6

EUPHRATES TIGRIS

WATER TRANS.

PROJECT

35 BILLION M3

4 379 000 ha(IRRIGATION AREA)

52.7 BILLION M3

4 621 000 ha(IRRIGATION AREA)

WATER TRANSFER FROM THE TIGRIS TO THE EUPHRATES

“Fortunately for Iraq, however, there is little suitable land in these two countries by using the waters of the Tigris. As a result, it seems uınlikely that serious international problems will be generates concerning the use of its waters, and Iraq will be able to make use of them for its own needs. This explains why Iraq is able to divert a significant proportion of the flow of the Tigris through the Tharthar basin to augment the water resources of the Euphrates” (Beaumont, 1978)

“Iraq could well make greater use of the discharge of the Tigris. In fact, the Tharthar canal project which at the moment diverts Tigris water into the Tharthar depression, thereby controlling floods, is planned to be extended to the Euphrates, facilitating therefore the transfer of flow from one river to the other.” (Anderson, 1986)

SLIDE 7