Inter-governmental & Expert Consultations for Information Exchange on Shared Water Resources

in the Arab Region:

Lessons Learned & Good Practices from the Preparation of the ESCWA-BGR

Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia

Carol Chouchani CherfaneChief, Water Resources Section

Sustainable Development & Productivity DivisionUN-ESCWA

LWDs, Amman, 16 December 2013

The Problematic: Which Comes First?

Water scarcity and dependency on external water resources in the Arab Region renders the management of shared water resources a matter of national security.

Information sharing and preparation of joint assessments of shared water resources by riparian countries is thus relatively rare.

The exception is between countries were a Basin Commission, Technical Committee or Institutional Arrangement has been agreed to and established.

International organization have long promoted the establishment of such cooperative arrangements to support basin-level agreements for SWRM.

The question is thus posed: Which comes first?

Information or Agreements on a shared water resource.

The Lesser Zab – Iraq

Mandates to pursue two-pronged approach

Inventory of Shared Water Resources

in Western Asia

The Lesser Zab – Iraq

ESCWA and BGR thus collaborated to support Member States on 2 regional efforts:

• Mandated by the ESCWA Committee on Water Resources

• ESCWA-BGR Preparation: 2009-2013• 9 Surface water basin chapters• 17 Groundwater chapters• 600 pages

• Mandated by 22 LAS countries of the Arab Ministerial Water Council

• May 2011 initiated & on-going• 3 Inter-governmental consultations + 4

AMWC Technical Committee Sessions• 6 pages

Legal Framework for Shared Water Resources

in the Arab Region

Euphrates River – Syrian Arab Republic

Inventory mandated by ESCWA inter-governmental process

Implemented through inter-governmental and expert consultations.

First completed comprehensive literature review and expert meetings rather than requesting countries to complete blank questionnaires.

Country Focal Points were consulted to review draft data sheets for data confirmation and elaboration.

Iterative review & consultation with countries on content of basin chapters to support their finalization.

Good Practice: Consultative Process

CWR-9 Session CWR-9 Session

Expert Consultation Field Trip

CWR-10 Session

- Inventory includes chapters on shared surface (9) and groundwater resources (17)

- Renewable groundwater and surface water resources require integrated management approaches that respect hydrology & hydrogeology

- Proved difficult to combine the surface and groundwater systems, but cross-referencing pursued throughout the Inventory, e.g., surface basin chapters include groundwater section.

- Preparation and vetting of 60 new basin maps & ~200 illustrations can now serve a baseline for further dialogue.

Good Practice & Lesson Learned: Addressing Surface & Groundwater Resources

Source: ESCWA-BGR Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia (2013)

Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia — Main challenges

The Lesser Zab – Iraq

• Data and information available to the public often outdated, obsolete, contradictory or of different nature and scale.

• Some information (especially recent data) classified in national databases and unpublished reports.

• Country submissions varied significantly in terms of scope, level of detail and format; regional consultation sought to reconcile differences where possible.

• Difficulties in receiving country data in a timely manner, last-minute modifications has to be directly incorporated in layout versions.

Where differing or contradictory information was obtained from different sources, the different data sets and arguments were all included and referenced to reflect a

range of findings and viewpoints

Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia — Opportunities

Euphrates River – Syrian Arab Republic

• Basin-level dialogue is facilitated by a common starting point for information exchange and cooperation, as provided by the Inventory’s basin chapters, datasets and maps.

• Data can be debated at basin-level by riparian countries, which can provide an opening for basin-level consultation and cooperation for joint assessments and improved shared water resources management.

• Some countries already requesting support to this end.

• Inventory offers opportunity to inform the preparation of the Legal Framework for Shared Water Resources in the Arab Region in pilot basins.

Beirut Launch Event /Press Conference (Oct 2013)Stockholm World Water Week Launch (Sept 2013)

VISIT OUR WEBSITEwww.waterinventory.org

Email contact:waterinventory@un.org

Thank You!

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)P.O. Box 11-8575Beirut, Lebanon