http://www.forum2000.cz/en/projects/middle-east-water/2005/exploring-water-patterns-in-the-middle-east--linking-technology--business-and-politics-in-the-21st-century-to-fight-aridity-and-shape-the-region-s-future/
Exploring Water Patterns in the Middle East: Linking Technology, Business and Politics in the 21st Century To Fight Aridity and Shape the Region´s Future
1 Background
1.1 Hydrologic Situation
1.1 Hydrologic Situation
The Middle East is an extremely arid region, where 5% of the world’s population is matched by only 1% of freshwater resources. It has low and rather unpredictable rainfall. Virtually all available water resources have been already utilized to the maximum extent in the last years and decades, including building dams, drilling and pumping of groundwater and seawater desalination. Even non-renewable resources (e.g. some ancient aquifers) are being exploited. Besides, a sizeable part of acquired freshwater suffers from quality degradation as a result of pollution. Consequently, innovative approaches and technology are crucial to improve the water situation in the region.
Furthermore, major water resources have trans-national character such as groundwater aquifers and river streams running across state borders. More than 50% of the total population is dependent on such resources. Thus water supplies are also a subject of the region’s international relations.
The largest water resources in the Middle East are the Tigris & Euphrates River Basin shared by Turkey, Syria and Iraq; the Nile River Basin originating outside the region and used by a host of African countries, then flowing to Sudan and Egypt; the Jordan River Basin shared by Syria, Jordan, Israel and Lebanon; the Yarmuk River in Syria and Jordan; the West Bank Groundwater Aquifers used by Palestinians and Israel; The Orontes River Basin shared by Lebanon, Syria and Turkey; the Litani River Basin in Lebanon; and seawater mainly in the Gulf area.
1.2 Crises and Threats
Years ago, especially in the early nineties, predictions were made that shortage of water would soon evolve into a severe regional crisis. The rationale for these fears rested upon the facts of a rapid population growth in the Arab countries (of ca. 3% annually), extensive industrialization programs and generally the increasing water consumption due to economic growth, tourism, etc. That combined would inevitably lead to a wide-scale instability.
Fortunately, this view has not proved completely true. While there were not many possibilities of significantly increasing water supplies, much could be done regarding the existing consumption patterns: industrial, commercial and domestic users were using only up to 15 per cent of the resources, the rest being consumed by agriculture and particularly the irrigation systems. Therefore, any decrease in the agriculture’s consumption alone – either by decreasing the production or by boosting the efficiency – is able to counteract imminent threats of water shortage in vital areas. That may, on the other hand, damage the agriculture itself.
Secondly, it was argued that the scarcity of available water would lead to serious international tensions and eventually armed conflicts. States viewing sufficiency of water as crucial precondition for their future development would not shy away from defending their interests even by force. The situation was to be further escalated by climate change forecasts detrimental to water resources. Although the former came partially true and showed itself in chronic tensions between Syria and Turkey and – to a lesser extent – in the Israel-Jordan and Egypt-Sudan relations, an open conflict has never materialized. Nevertheless, anxiety remains.
1.3 Challenges and Opportunities
The ultimate objective of a comprehensive approach to the management of scarce water resources could be described as follows: ensuring rational and fair water distribution, whilst maintaining the principles of equity, prosperity, autonomy and sustainability for and by all stakeholders.
As already articulated at the first symposium on Water in the Arab World, held at Harvard University in October 1993, an essential part of any solution to the problem must be the understanding of water as an economic good and the introduction of a price system. The subjection of the water sector to market principles can efficiently prevent any wasting of resources and direct them to the most needing consumers. At the same time, however, robust regulatory and institutional framework must be constructed to set firm rules and protect some vulnerable elements of the local economies and populations from grave harms.
Responsible and sensitive political work on the part of the region’s governments and local authorities is key to achieve those aims and explain the necessity of the measures taken. It appears even more important in face of the fact that in the Arab Islamic culture, free availability of water has traditionally been regarded as a vested interest of all. Anyway, the economization of water sector, even though restricted, is the point where business and investment ventures can jump in. Much has been already done and the currently booming water markets are rightfully expected to further develop.
Hand in hand with that development, science and research will be greatly challenged in the on-going process of technological innovation and of coping with the specific conditions of the arid Middle East. That is particularly true given the exigent necessity to combat the increasing environmental deterioration, caused predominantly by over-pumping of groundwater aquifers, over-damming of river flows and air pollution due to seawater desalination. Without a determined action, a disaster is looming on the horizon.
Moreover, in the long-run, dealing with the water situation is likely once for all to overgrow the national borders and so become a matter of or an incentive for a regional political-economic arrangement that might have far-reaching implications. Several more specific issues, unresolved challenges and opportunities are listed below.
The Exploring Water Patterns project (EWaP) will try to address the complex issue of Middle Eastern water situation by means of a series of events spanning a period of fifteen months. These events will include roundtable discussions, expert workshops and a final conference and will bring together international participants with specific expertise in the given fields.
The project methodology is based on the assumption that—in order to meet the challenges ahead—a great synergy between the realms of science/technology, business/investment and politics is necessary. Thus each of these dimensions deserves a closer attention before they can be treated in a complex manner. Besides, the impacts of water sector changes on the environment and social systems of the respective countries must be evaluated.
Knowledge basis for the project is provided by the research made over the past decade and discussed at several meetings and conferences, starting with the 1993 Water in the Arab World symposium held at Harvard University. In addition, at the beginning of the project certain particular issues with the potential of becoming new and promising incentives will be explored by an initial workshop. And importantly, a roundtable comprising senior political leaders from the Middle East will deal with the issues in a broad context, providing recommendations and guidelines for the project.
In the following, an expert workshop will survey the current state-of-the-art technology available in the water sector and outline possible technical solutions to particular issues. This concerns not only freshwater acquisition but also effective water management and wastewater treatment and recycling. Another roundtable discussion will be dedicated to the analysis of possible social and environmental impacts of water sector development. It will formulate requirements for limiting harm to and enhancing quality of the environment as well as devise conditions related to social responsibility vis-ŕ-vis the Middle Eastern societies.
Using the conclusions of the preceding events, a business workshop for corporate executives will explore opportunities for investments in the Middle Eastern water sector. Attention will be paid to evaluating the viability of such investments given the specific conditions and requirements in the region, the outcome being a market analysis plus proposals for political action to support investments. Subsequently another workshop will bring together government officials from local countries as well as foreign countries to be involved in the water sector development. They will produce concrete policy recommendations for their governments.
Additionally, at an early stage of the project a seminar will be organized for representatives of companies and academic/research institutions located in the Czech Republic. Presenting the complex issues related to Middle East water situation, the seminar will aim to determine the extent of interest among the participants and eventually their will to be involved in the project.
Finally, a conference will convene where political leaders will meet senior business executives, scientists and NGO-representatives. Basing on the outcomes of all previous meetings, a plan for further action will be discussed and formulated. The participants will be required to state concrete commitments of their respective governments, companies, and institutions. These commitments will then be publicly announced and communicated in the media in order to achieve a sufficient degree of publicity thus reducing the possibility of backing off from the agreed plans. The outcomes will also be channeled specifically to key actors and responsible decision makers both within and without the Middle East. As far as possible, synergies will be attempted with other projects dealing with similar topics.
The project will produce a report containing records from its meetings as well as all outcomes and recommendations.
3 Schedule of Events
I. Introductory events:
Furthermore, major water resources have trans-national character such as groundwater aquifers and river streams running across state borders. More than 50% of the total population is dependent on such resources. Thus water supplies are also a subject of the region’s international relations.
The largest water resources in the Middle East are the Tigris & Euphrates River Basin shared by Turkey, Syria and Iraq; the Nile River Basin originating outside the region and used by a host of African countries, then flowing to Sudan and Egypt; the Jordan River Basin shared by Syria, Jordan, Israel and Lebanon; the Yarmuk River in Syria and Jordan; the West Bank Groundwater Aquifers used by Palestinians and Israel; The Orontes River Basin shared by Lebanon, Syria and Turkey; the Litani River Basin in Lebanon; and seawater mainly in the Gulf area.
1.2 Crises and Threats
Years ago, especially in the early nineties, predictions were made that shortage of water would soon evolve into a severe regional crisis. The rationale for these fears rested upon the facts of a rapid population growth in the Arab countries (of ca. 3% annually), extensive industrialization programs and generally the increasing water consumption due to economic growth, tourism, etc. That combined would inevitably lead to a wide-scale instability.
Fortunately, this view has not proved completely true. While there were not many possibilities of significantly increasing water supplies, much could be done regarding the existing consumption patterns: industrial, commercial and domestic users were using only up to 15 per cent of the resources, the rest being consumed by agriculture and particularly the irrigation systems. Therefore, any decrease in the agriculture’s consumption alone – either by decreasing the production or by boosting the efficiency – is able to counteract imminent threats of water shortage in vital areas. That may, on the other hand, damage the agriculture itself.
Secondly, it was argued that the scarcity of available water would lead to serious international tensions and eventually armed conflicts. States viewing sufficiency of water as crucial precondition for their future development would not shy away from defending their interests even by force. The situation was to be further escalated by climate change forecasts detrimental to water resources. Although the former came partially true and showed itself in chronic tensions between Syria and Turkey and – to a lesser extent – in the Israel-Jordan and Egypt-Sudan relations, an open conflict has never materialized. Nevertheless, anxiety remains.
1.3 Challenges and Opportunities
The ultimate objective of a comprehensive approach to the management of scarce water resources could be described as follows: ensuring rational and fair water distribution, whilst maintaining the principles of equity, prosperity, autonomy and sustainability for and by all stakeholders.
As already articulated at the first symposium on Water in the Arab World, held at Harvard University in October 1993, an essential part of any solution to the problem must be the understanding of water as an economic good and the introduction of a price system. The subjection of the water sector to market principles can efficiently prevent any wasting of resources and direct them to the most needing consumers. At the same time, however, robust regulatory and institutional framework must be constructed to set firm rules and protect some vulnerable elements of the local economies and populations from grave harms.
Responsible and sensitive political work on the part of the region’s governments and local authorities is key to achieve those aims and explain the necessity of the measures taken. It appears even more important in face of the fact that in the Arab Islamic culture, free availability of water has traditionally been regarded as a vested interest of all. Anyway, the economization of water sector, even though restricted, is the point where business and investment ventures can jump in. Much has been already done and the currently booming water markets are rightfully expected to further develop.
Hand in hand with that development, science and research will be greatly challenged in the on-going process of technological innovation and of coping with the specific conditions of the arid Middle East. That is particularly true given the exigent necessity to combat the increasing environmental deterioration, caused predominantly by over-pumping of groundwater aquifers, over-damming of river flows and air pollution due to seawater desalination. Without a determined action, a disaster is looming on the horizon.
Moreover, in the long-run, dealing with the water situation is likely once for all to overgrow the national borders and so become a matter of or an incentive for a regional political-economic arrangement that might have far-reaching implications. Several more specific issues, unresolved challenges and opportunities are listed below.
- Technology and development: decreasing water consumption by agriculture (irrigation systems, crop arts, distribution systems); decreasing costs and environmental implications of desalination; exploring methods of massive long-distance water transportation; developing possibilities of wastewater reuse; studying meteorological forecast systems;
- Politics and administration: tuning up legal framework; efficiently designing national and local water management authorities; observing water market developments; scanning consumption patterns; linking water policies to agriculture; facilitating trans-area and trans-border consultations of authorities (knowledge and data sharing, joint modeling); raising public awareness of water resources’ central importance;
- Business opportunities: dozens of state or private-sponsored projects in the water sector; modern hydrological equipment; specialized computer technology and equipment (water databases, information dissemination); manpower training; the currently booming wastewater segment; industrial nowater- use appliances.
The Exploring Water Patterns project (EWaP) will try to address the complex issue of Middle Eastern water situation by means of a series of events spanning a period of fifteen months. These events will include roundtable discussions, expert workshops and a final conference and will bring together international participants with specific expertise in the given fields.
The project methodology is based on the assumption that—in order to meet the challenges ahead—a great synergy between the realms of science/technology, business/investment and politics is necessary. Thus each of these dimensions deserves a closer attention before they can be treated in a complex manner. Besides, the impacts of water sector changes on the environment and social systems of the respective countries must be evaluated.
Knowledge basis for the project is provided by the research made over the past decade and discussed at several meetings and conferences, starting with the 1993 Water in the Arab World symposium held at Harvard University. In addition, at the beginning of the project certain particular issues with the potential of becoming new and promising incentives will be explored by an initial workshop. And importantly, a roundtable comprising senior political leaders from the Middle East will deal with the issues in a broad context, providing recommendations and guidelines for the project.
In the following, an expert workshop will survey the current state-of-the-art technology available in the water sector and outline possible technical solutions to particular issues. This concerns not only freshwater acquisition but also effective water management and wastewater treatment and recycling. Another roundtable discussion will be dedicated to the analysis of possible social and environmental impacts of water sector development. It will formulate requirements for limiting harm to and enhancing quality of the environment as well as devise conditions related to social responsibility vis-ŕ-vis the Middle Eastern societies.
Using the conclusions of the preceding events, a business workshop for corporate executives will explore opportunities for investments in the Middle Eastern water sector. Attention will be paid to evaluating the viability of such investments given the specific conditions and requirements in the region, the outcome being a market analysis plus proposals for political action to support investments. Subsequently another workshop will bring together government officials from local countries as well as foreign countries to be involved in the water sector development. They will produce concrete policy recommendations for their governments.
Additionally, at an early stage of the project a seminar will be organized for representatives of companies and academic/research institutions located in the Czech Republic. Presenting the complex issues related to Middle East water situation, the seminar will aim to determine the extent of interest among the participants and eventually their will to be involved in the project.
Finally, a conference will convene where political leaders will meet senior business executives, scientists and NGO-representatives. Basing on the outcomes of all previous meetings, a plan for further action will be discussed and formulated. The participants will be required to state concrete commitments of their respective governments, companies, and institutions. These commitments will then be publicly announced and communicated in the media in order to achieve a sufficient degree of publicity thus reducing the possibility of backing off from the agreed plans. The outcomes will also be channeled specifically to key actors and responsible decision makers both within and without the Middle East. As far as possible, synergies will be attempted with other projects dealing with similar topics.
The project will produce a report containing records from its meetings as well as all outcomes and recommendations.
3 Schedule of Events
I. Introductory events:
- October 2005: Prague workshop ‘The Water Short Middle East and North Africa’ Themes: Water Market – A Strategy For Conflict Resolution; Alternative Water Sources – An Economic Feasibility Analysis; Virtual Water Strategy; The Role of International Water Law; Approaches to Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Water Conflicts
- October 2005: Prague roundtable ‘Water in the Middle East: Prospects for Conflict or Co-operation?’, featuring senior political leaders. Dedicated to providing a broad view touching upon politics, economy, society, environment and technology to bring an insight into various scenarios of future development. Themes: modernization vs. tradition; food security; environmental strains; demographic developments; possibilities of internationalization and creation of control mechanisms
- December 2005: Exploratory seminar for companies and academic/research institutions in the Czech Republic
- January 2006: Trip to the Middle East – finding local partners, establishing contact
- February 2006: Expert workshop on technology
- April 2006: Roundtable on environmental and social impacts
- June 2006: Business workshop on investment opportunities
- October 2006: Workshop for government officials
- December 2006 / January 2007: Final conference
Exploring Water Patterns in the Middle East
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