Securing Water Supplies in the Middle East - Policy and Funding Alternatives

Time: Monday, October 8, 12:00 - 13:30
Venue: Žofín Palace, Knights' Hall

Moderator:
Michael Žantovský, Ambassador to Israel, Former Press Secretary of the President, Czech Republic

Panel Discussion:
Aaron T. Wolf, Professor, Oregon State University, USA
Hüseyin Bağci, Professor, Middle East Technical University, Turkey
Murad Bino, Director, Inter-Islamic Network on Water Resources Development and Management, Jordan
Nader Khateeb, Director, Friends of the Earth, Palestine
Yavuz Çubuçku, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey
Shimon Tal, CEO, Tal ConTent, Israel

Trans-boundary water infrastructure projects in the Middle East region face an array of financial, political, socio-economic, and environmental constraints. The Red Sea – Dead Sea project remains at the feasibility-study stage, the Manavgat River project, imagined to deliver water from Turkey to Israel and Jordan, has been deferred and joint projects involving Palestine remain in the distant future.
Virtually every water project sited on an international river has to deal with trans-boundary impacts downstream, and nations seeking feasible unilateral solutions ought to follow the way of water conservation, desalination and improve water efficiency.
But the price of a unit of desalinated water will eventually hit a price floor, at which point it may still be considerably higher than conventional water sources, not to the impact of energy prices on the price of water.
Technical solutions were successful in solving the water problems of the 20th century, but the implementation of these solutions in the 21st century may be curbed by the high level of uncertainty in economy, society and ecosystem behavior. Therefore problem-solving without structural change and appropriate institutional support will limit the security of the water supply.
The panel will review both contemporary water policy and funding in the Middle East and develop concrete recommendations for funding options for international water-related projects and national water policy alternatives.

• What are the most critical policy measures needed to enhance groundwater-use efficiency in the trans-boundary aquifers of the Middle East? What efforts in the field of international law are needed to support these policy measures?
• How should international and national financing be allocated? Should it be concentrated on building supply through large-scale water projects, making changes to national water policy unnecessary?
• Is the primary objective for international water cooperation to secure water supplies or to improve international relations in the area? Does economic rationale or environmental sustainability stand a chance against the will to manifest neighborly relations?
• What are the primary political, economic and environmental constraints for delaying the implementation of international water projects in the Middle East?
• Water and politics are inextricably connected in the Middle East. What is the best strategy for minimizing the negative effects of the most contentious issues in the region, which are not directly related to water?
• What reforms need to be made on the regional, national and sub-national level?
• While international funds flow into the region, what reforms need to be made on the recipient side (i.e. state, municipal) to improve the effectiveness use of the funds?
• What can Middle East countries learn from each other with regard to policy and funding (i.e. Israel's red line) for the sake of water?
• What actions can be taken to promote water saving policies in the region, i.e. can religion play a positive role in the process?