Consensus building for the integrated management of

Nahr el-Kabir basin

Yusuf Al-Mooji

ESCWA

ESCWA

Consensus building for the integrated management of

Nahr el-Kabir basin

Natural characteristics

Water management issues

Water management options

Nahr el-Kabir: Basic information

• Catchment area: 991 km2

• Highest point: 2215 m (Qarnat Araba in Lebanon)

• Channel length: 56 km

• Current population: ~ 400,000

Fig1: Schematic Diagram of the el-Kabir

Fig 2: Study area with simple topographic divisions and major settlements

Natural characteristics : Geomorphologic features

• The southern catchment zone

• The northern catchment zone

• The Sahlet el Bqaiaa

• The Gorge

• The Akkar-Hamidiye plain

Fig 3: Geomorphological Features

Natural characteristics : Drainage system

• Controlled mainly by the Yammoune/Akkar fault systems

• Two major sub-basins:

• Noura el Tahta-Arouss: 572 km2

• Safa-Raweel: 491 km2

Fig 4: Major drainage superposed on a digital terrain model of the watershed area

Fig 5: Major Drainage superimposed on the hydrological monitoring network

Natural characteristics: geo(hydro)logical features

• Regional context

• Dead Sea /Yammouneh Fault system

• Palmyrides fold belt/ Jhar fault system

• Mount Lebanon massif/Jebel Ansariyah massif

• Akkar fault

Fig 6: Surface Geology of Nahr el-Kabir Basin

(re-drawn from FAO, 1972)

River

Holocene (unidentified)

Pliocene (sst/lst)

Miocene (marl, cgl, lst)

Pleistocene (lst, marl)

Lower Cretaceous (mudstone, lst)Jurassic (dol, lst)

Albian (dol, lst, marl)

Pliocene Volcanic

Cennonian

FaultsAnticline axis

Syncline axis

Monocline axis

Scale: 1-200,000

Natural characteristics : geo(hydro)logical features

• Aquifer system

– Upper basalt in hydraulic connectivity with overlying alluvium (water level 5-10 m in 1971)

– Lower basalt (confined aquifer) separated from upper basalt by a 2-m thick clay

Average monthly precipitation

0

50

100

150

200

250precipitation

(mm)

Fig 7: The mean monthly precipitation in the el-Kabir watershed

Fig 8a: Mean Monthly discharges at southern El-Kebir River

(1931-1980) Arida Station (419 km2)

4,4

9,0

22,0

27,530,0

25,0

20,8

10,4

5,43,7 2,5 2,4

165

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

m3 /s

Fig 8b: Mean monthly discharges at Southern El-kebir River (1931-1980)

Dabussiyeh Station (572 km2)

5,4

17,6

44,2

62,9 60,5

48,7

39,6

19,9

26,8

11,97,5 4,8 3,5

0

5

10

15

20

25

m3/

s

Fig 9a: Mean Discharges at Southern El-Kebir River in MCM (Arida/Bqaiaa)

0

20

40

60

80

100

J F M A M J J A S 0 N D Annual

MCM

Bqaiaa Arida

Fig 9b:Mean Discharges at Southern El-Kebir River in MCM (Dabussiyeh/Mouth)

0

30

60

90

120

150

J F M A M J J A S 0 N D Annual

MC

M

Daboussiyeh Mouth

Natural characteristics : geo(hydro)logical features

• Rainfall– Southern catchment (Akkar): 1000 mm– Sahlet el Bqaiaa (Tell Kolkh): 871 mm– Watershed range (mean annual): 600-1000 mm

• Surface water discharge (1931-1980)– Arida station (Safa-Raweel): 165 Mm3

– Daboussiyeh station (Noura el Tahta-Arouss): 323 Mm3

Natural characteristics : geo(hydro)logical features

• Groundwater discharge (springs)

– Safa-Raweel sub-basin: 140.5 Mm3 (Nassiriyah, Farash, Safa)

– Noura el Tahta-Arouss: 13.8 Mm3 (Khalifa)

• Groundwater recharge

– Recharge estimated at 15% of rainfall in Akkar

• Hydraulic parameters

– Transmissivity > 10-2 m2/s (lower basalt)

Water management: demand side

• Lack of awareness on water issues

– One of the least developed regions

– Lack of adequate infrastructure

• Increasing demand for fresh water

– Increasing population

– Increasing urbanization

– Intensification of agriculture

Fig 10: Land use map with major classifications

Water management: supply side

• Abundant supply of freshwater

• No signs of surface water reduction yet

But

• Increasing risk of pollution

• Uncontrolled groundwater abstraction

• Potential risk of recharge reduction

Water management options :basis for consensus

• A basin-wide management approach

• A surface water-groundwater conjunctive development, use, and management

• A regional development policy and water-use strategy

• Effective involvement of all stakeholders

• Balancing water quality and quantity

Water management options : underlying principles of the Lebanese-Syrian water-

sharing agreement

• Objective criteria based on the 1997 UN Convention

• Ecological considerations

• Joint implementation mechanism

• Data legitimacy

• Win-win strategy

Water management options : Priorities for activation of agreement

• Current ESCWA-BGR involvement

– Training workshop for Lebanese-Syrian delegations on negotiation skills and dispute resolution over international water resources (Beirut, October 2003)

– Supporting and promoting the Nahr el Kabir positive experience

Water management options : Priorities for activation of agreement

• Proposed short-term (future) ESCWA-BGR involvement– Assessing the hydrological monitoring needs of

the basin– Guidelines for joint operation and management

of proposed dam and reservoir– Guidelines for assessing the socio-economic and

environmental impacts of the proposed dam– Preliminary survey of groundwater resources