Klingbeil, R., 2007. Water Cooperation in MENA - Status Quo and Perspective. Presentation for BMZ, 22-26 October 2007, ARCA-Net International Workshop 2007, Western Asia and North Africa (WANA), Middle East Region “Water Scarcity in the Middle East - Conflict Potentials and Coping Strategies”, Damascus, Syria.

1. Water Cooperation in MENA
Status Quo and Perspective
Dr. Ralf Klingbeil
on behalf of
German Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and
Development (BMZ)
Department for
Water, Energy,
Urban Development

2. Sharing the Future

3. Transboundary Water:
Source of Conflict or Basis for
Regional Cooperation
 Different Bilateral Relations in the
Competition for the Utilisation of Natural Resources

4.  Often used term “shared” water is in the true English sense of the wording
-unfortunately- until today only wishful thinking.
 Although fair sharing of common resources or of the benefits of their
use is the ultimate goal the fact is that in the Middle East in particular there
is currently no full sharing of water resources which
 are crossing international borders or
 are existent as one surface/subsurface water body
on both sides of an international border.
 Instead the term “transboundary” just reflects
the issue of a resource crossing “over”/“under”
a border, describing a physical status, i.e. the
current situation and status quo.
 It’s still a long way for transboundary
waters in the Middle East to become
truly shared resources.
Transboundary vs. Shared
Water Resources

5. Outline
 German Development Cooperation in
the Water Sector
 Reasons why we are engaged,
international legal framework
 German contribution to transboundary
water cooperation, experiences,
instruments and actions
 Transboundary / Shared Water in MENA
 Relevance of Groundwater in the
Context of Shared Water Resources
 Some Cases, Status and Perspectives

6. German Development Cooperation
in the Water Sector
 Worldwide 3rd largest bilateral donor in the water sector:
approx. 350 Mio. € per annum
 North Africa & Middle East: 2nd largest donor
 Largest donor in Morocco, Tunisia and Yemen
 Other regional cooperating partners in Water & Environment::
Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey
 Long Term Partner: In water sector of the region since 1963
 Approx. 42 % of the German financial development assistance
to the region and 17,5 % of the technical assistance is
channelled into the water sector

7. Background, Aims and Prospects
 About 40% of the world„s population live along more than 260
transboundary rivers and lakes, in a total of 145 states there
are regions located within international river basins
 To harness sustainable benefits of transboundary waters for all
riparian states joint efforts need to be made
 Cooperation at watershed or basin level aims at:
 Poverty reduction
 Resource protection towards ecological sustainability
 Economic cooperation and collaboration
 Crisis and conflict prevention
 Transboundary Water Cooperation is a logic consequence of
regional application of IWRM

8. International Legal Framework
 International law plays an important role as a legal framework
for the settlement of transboundary water disputes
 1997 UN Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of
International Watercourses reflects international common law;
its main elements are:
 Principle of equitable and reasonable utilization and participation
 Obligation not to cause significant harm
 Principle of Cooperation
 Obligation to seek peaceful settlement of disputes
 Principles serve as guidelines for specific endeavours in the area of
transboundary water cooperation
 UN GA 2006 received from the UN ILC draft articles for an
international convention on transboundary aquifers to be
commented by UN Member States by end of 2007

9. German Contribution
 Policy dialogue for shaping international water policy
(i.e. Petersberg Process, 2001 International Freshwater Conference in Bonn,
World Commission on Dam, EUWI, Conferences such as the Stockholm World
Water Week)
 Improving regional cooperation:
networking, experience and good practice exchange
(i.e. assistance to the NBI Secretariat, SADC, UN ESCWA, ACSAD, etc.)
 Institutional and technical support for basin organizations
(i.e. Congo, Nile, LCBC, Limpopo, Mekong)
 Investing in the protection and sustainable
use of water resources
(tapping of hydropower potential, flood control,
monitoring and measurement programs)

10. Experience 1/2
1. Transboundary water cooperation has an impact on
sensitive policy issues
2. Regional political organisations act as catalysts
3. An international institutional framework facilitates
transboundary water cooperation
4. The riparian states must themselves want and promote
transboundary cooperation

11. Experience 2/2
5. Benefit-sharing enhances readiness for cooperation
(the clearer the advantages for all stakeholders are,
the greater the willingness for cooperation)
6. Transboundary water cooperation is a long-term process
(raising mutual confidence and trust takes time)
7. It is only in the long term that transboundary water
cooperation leads to regional integration and conflict
prevention
8. Good governance and
transboundary water cooperation
are closely interrelated

12. Instruments and Areas for Action 1/2
1. Harmonizing water policies
(aligning national water policies with joint cooperation goals, providing
technical advise to member states, forging a shared vision)
2. Developing cooperation agreements
(frameworks for joint activities)
3. Promoting communication and cooperative relations
4. Building knowledge management capacity
(reliable data on basins, technical knowledge,
operational capabilities, monitoring systems)
5. Drawing up integrated water management plans

13. Instruments and Areas for Action 2/2
6. Investing in the implementation of integrated water
management plans
7. Monitoring and evaluating projects
(assessment of impacts and lessons learned)
8. Improving donor coordination
9. Promoting South-South exchange
10. Paying more attention to transboundary groundwater
resources (risks and opportunities of using shared groundwater
resources, particularly in the Middle East)

14. Transboundary Surface and
Groundwater Worldwide
Source: www.WHYMAP.org
 MENA Region: Nearly no transboundary rivers,
BUT large volumes of transboundary groundwater
 Concepts for Transboundary River Basins do not
necessarily fit to the needs in MENA

15. Source: www.WHYMAP.org
Transboundary Aquifer Systems
in North Africa and Middle East

16. Source: UNESCO / ISARM 2001
But:
What is a Transboundary Aquifer ?

17. South-Western Sahara Aquifer System
Source: UNESCO 2001

18. Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System
Source: UNESCO 2001

19. Saudi Arabia
and the Aquifers on the Arab Peninsula
Source: UNESCO 2006

20. More Water for Lebanon and Syria
Source: ESCWA-BGR 2003

21. The Basalt Aquifer:
The Source of the Yarmouk River
Source: ESCWA-BGR 2004

22. The Mountain Aquifers:
The Source of Life for the West Bank
Source: ESCWA-BGR 2004
 Geological Cross Section from West to East

23. The Mountain Aquifers:
The Source of Life for the Westbank

24. Israel and its Neighbours:
More complex with Time

25. Source: www.WHYMAP.org
Transboundary Aquifer Systems
in North Africa and Middle East

26. North Africa
401 Tindouf Aquifer Algeria, Morocco
402 Errachidia Basin Algeria, Morocco
403 Northwest Sahara Aquifer System
(NWSAS)
Algeria, Libya, Tunisia
404 Mourzouk-Djado Basin Chad, Libya, Niger
405 Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System
(NSAS)
Chad, Egypt, Libya, Sudan
406 Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania,
Senegal
407 Taoudéni Basin Algeria, Mali, Niger
408 L‟Air Cristalline Aquifer Algeria, Mali, Niger
409 Tin-Séririne Basin Algeria, Niger
Western Asia
501 Upper Jezira / Mesopotamia Iraq, Syria, Turkey
502 Eastern Mediterranean Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria
503 Hauran and Jabal Al-Arab (Basalts,
Neogene to Quaternary)
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria
504 Syrian Steppe Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria
505 Eastern Arabian Peninsula (Paleogene) Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, UAE, Yemen
Transboundary Aquifer Systems
in North Africa and Middle East

27. 501 Upper Jezira / Mesopotamia Iraq, Syria, Turkey
502 Eastern Mediterranean Israel, (Jordan), Lebanon, Palestine,
Syria
Western Mountain Aquifer Israel, Palestine
Eastern Mountain Aquifer Israel, Palestine
Northeastern Mountain Aquifer Israel, Palestine
Hasbani-Ouazani Aquifer catchment Israel, Lebanon
Southern Anti-Lebanon Cretaceous Lebanon, Syria
Northern Anti-Lebanon Cretaceous Lebanon, Syria
Southern Anti-Lebanon Jurassic Lebanon, Syria
Northern Anti-Lebanon Jurassic Lebanon, Syria
Gaza Strip Aquifer Israel, Palestine
503 Hauran and Jabal Al-Arab (Basalts, Neogene to
Quaternary)
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria
504 Syrian Steppe Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria
Disi, Saq Jordan, Saudi Arabia
505 Eastern Arabian Peninsula (Paleogene) Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen
Saq Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE
Transboundary Aquifers /
Groundwater Units in the Middle East

28. Not Assignable
Aruma Deep Aquifer Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
Neogene Deep Aquifer Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
Wasia-Biyadh Deep Aquifer Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen
Wajid Deep Aquifer Saudi Arabia, Yemen
Wasia-Biyadh Deep Aquifer Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE
Saq and Tabuk Deep
Aquifers
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria
Upper Jordan River
Quaternary
Israel, Syria
Lower Jordan River
Quaternary
Israel, Jordan, Palestine
…
Transboundary Aquifers /
Groundwater Units in the Middle East

29. Source: UN ESCWA, BGR, GTZ, 2004.
Dispute Resolution Techniques
Enhancing Negotiation Skills on
International Water Resources

30.  GW moves 3-dimensional, not 1-dimensional like a river
 complex in space
 GW recharge and discharge, GW movement happens in
various timescales from within a few hours to thousands of
years
 complex in time
 GW basin management boundaries are not as obvious as
river basins, they might even change with GW abstraction
 complex & variable in its extent
 Out of sight – out of mind?
 “We better use as much as possible before we may have to
agree with our neighbour on reduced water resources use”
Transboundary Groundwater more
complex than River Basins

31. Policy Recommendations 1/2
1. Every transboundary groundwater case needs a specifically
adapted approach, nothing from the shelf, geology matters - and
hydrogeology!
2. Understanding and clarification of the benefits of cooperation for
each involved party and for the region as a whole is essential to focus
cooperation process on reaching those benefits
3. Look for the low hanging apples first - to tackle those challenges
first that yield beneficial results fast
4. Support of trust building between technical staff of the involved
countries
5. Ensure all parties are on equal technical level by
technical capacity building

32. 6. Creating awareness and support on the political level,
incl. capacity building on political level
7. If countries might not be likely to find their own way to cooperation
find ONE neutral 3rd party moderator trusted equally by all parties
8. Better donor coordination to ensure clear focussed perspective on
the cooperation and agreed support for ONE 3rd party
9. As a 3rd party always ask yourself:
Can you really be trusted by all parties equally?
If not, withdraw immediately from the moderation and stay outside
10. Be aware of what is technically needed for cooperation:
Do the parties need full-access-publicly-accessible-databases with all
possible hydro-information?
Or would a simple information sharing between a small group of
experts be enough for the purpose?
Policy Recommendations 1/2

33. download from www.bmz.de

34. Thank you for your attention!
www.bmz.de
Arabic for
Water (miyah),
from: inamo,
No 27, 2001,
www.inamo.de