R. Klingbeil, 2009: Transboundary Water and Transboundary Aquifers in the Middle East: Opportunities for Sharing a Precious Resource

R. Klingbeil, 2009: Transboundary Water and Transboundary Aquifers in the Middle East: Opportunities for Sharing a Precious Resource

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  Ralf Klingbeil Regional Advisor Environment& Water Transboundary Water and Transboundary Aquifers in the Middle East: Opportunities for Sharing a Precious Resource World Water Week Stockholm, 20 August 2009
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 2 Purpose • Why are we working on TBW & TBA issues? • Guidance and assistance to ESCWA MCs in shared / transboundary water / aquifer cooperation with other MCs or Non MCs • Helping in finding own / individual cooperation mechanisms • What would our MCs want us to do for them?
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 3 Outline • Transboundary water and aquifers in ESCWA region • Water-related agreements and their relevance for ESCWA region • Principles of transboundary cooperation • Examples of transboundary investigations • IWRM and transboundary cooperation • Future of 2008 UNGA Resolution (“UNTBA”) • ESCWA services, contacts
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 4 TB Water & Aquifers in Middle East
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 5 TBW Agreements 1/4 • 1992 UN ECE Water Convention, and 2003 Amendment • Why potentially relevant to UN ESCWA MCs? – The convention addresses surface as well as groundwater, more detailed than UN 1997 Convention – After ratification of 34 Parties the convention entered into force on 06/10/1996 and is thus binding to all Parties, though not yet all ECE MCs – Its proposed amendment would open the convention for accession by Non ECE MCs – Interesting for ESCWA MCs sharing water with ECE: EGY, IRQ, JOR, LBN, PAL/oPt, SYR
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 6 TBW Agreements 2/4 • 1997 UN Non-navigational Use Convention (UN Watercourse Convention) • Why potentially relevant to UN ESCWA MCs? – Global TBW treaty, unfortunately not yet entered into force due to missing ratifications (only 17/35) – Does not include all GW, nor does it provide sufficient GW-specific guidance – Ratified by 5/14 UN ESCWA MCs: IRQ, JOR, LBN, QAT, SYR (PAL announced will to ratify, YEM signed, not ratified) – Due to absence of perennial transboundary surface water in large parts of the region, maybe not as relevant as an agreement that fully addresses and includes groundwater/aquifers as well
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 7 TBW Agreements 3/4 • 2000 EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), 2006 Groundwater Directive (2006/118/EC) • Why potentially relevant to UN ESCWA MCs? – WFD and GWDD addresses surface as well as groundwater, with a detailed focus on water quality improvements – Binding for EU MCs, also at the margins of EU – Need for compliance for all potential EU candidate countries – ESCWA MCs cannot join if not EU candidate country – Interesting for ESCWA MCs sharing water with EU MCs or potential EU candidate countries: IRQ, LBN, SYR
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 8 TBW Agreements 4/4 • 2008 UNGA Resolution on the Law of TBAs (“UNTBA”), inc. UN ILC comments 08/05/08 • Why potentially relevant to UN ESCWA MCs? – Guidance for individual TBA cooperation between neighbouring countries – Detailed definition of groundwater/aquifer terms and issues to be considered when considering to develop agreements with neighbouring countries – 2007/2008 Comments by 2/14 UN ESCWA MCs: IRQ, SAU (plus comments by AWC) – Separate individual TBA agreements are less likely since only few TBAs are disconnected from TB surface water
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 9 Principles of TB Cooperation 1. (Limited) Sovereignty of Riparian / Aquifer States 2. Equitable and Reasonable Utilisation 3. Obligation not to Cause Significant Harm 4. General Obligation to Cooperate  Regular Exchange of Data and Information  Bilateral and Regional Agreements & Arrangements 5. Environmental Protection  Protection and Preservation of Ecosystems  Prevention, Reduction and Control of Pollution 6. Monitoring and Management
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 10 ISR-PAL Western Aquifer 1/5 Hydrogeological Cross-section from: M Zeitoun, C Messerschmid, S Attili, 2009, Groundwater.
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 11 ISR-PAL Western Aquifer 2/5 Historical Use: Surface and Groundwater from: M Zeitoun, C Messerschmid, S Attili, 2009, Groundwater.
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 12 ISR-PAL Western Aquifer 3/5 Historical Use: Different Sectors, Parties from: M Zeitoun, C Messerschmid, S Attili, 2009, Groundwater.
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 13 ISR-PAL Western Aquifer 4/5 Historical Use: One Party’s GW Abstraction from: M Zeitoun, C Messerschmid, S Attili, 2009, Groundwater.
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 14 ISR-PAL Western Aquifer 5/5 Groundwater Development Costs from: AM MacDonald et al., 2009, Hydrogeology Journal.
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 15 • Sustainability – social, economy, environment • Cooperation & Participation – local, regional, national, basin-wide – water using sectors – information exchange • Basin approach – which basin? • Water resources – knowledge, assessments • Enabling environment • Water allocation – informed decision making IWRM and TB cooperation • Limited Sovereignty • Equitable and Reasonable Utilisation • Obligation not to Cause Significant Harm • General Obligation to Cooperate • Environmental Protection • Monitoring and Management
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 16 EGM IWRM Principles in SWR • ESCWA Expert Group Meeting – Applying IWRM Principles in Managing Shared Water Resources Towards a Regional Vision – Beirut, 01-03 December 2009 – by invitation only • Focus: – Promoting cooperation, ensuring participation and identifying mutual interest in order to enhance the management of shared water resources – Ensuring equitable, reasonable and sustainable beneficial use – Identifying appropriate mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 17 Future of UNGA Resolution • What kind of legal instrument shall it take? • What kind of legal instrument is the most practical for countries to develop their own individual adapted agreements? • The current form already offers guidance for individual agreements - for those willing to cooperate. • ESCWA will continue to support its MCs in developing a regional vision for the cooperation on TBW & TBAs – Requests from the MCs – ESCWA Ministerial Council Resolutions – Meetings of the Committee on Water Resources
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 18 ESCWA Services • Water Resources Section: – Cooperation through CWR and activities of work plan – SWR assessments, guidance – Development of negotiation skills & dispute resolution • Regional Advisor Environment & Water: – Responding to specific requests from MCs • … with individual MCs, between MCs, between MCs and Non-MCs – Provide forums for transboundary exchange – Offer recommendations for building / enhancing bilateral / multilateral cooperation – Provide expert assessments of TBW situations – Assistance for development of individual agreements – Mediation / arbitration between countries/parties, if requested
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  20 August 2009www.escwa.un.org 19 ESCWA contacts • Sustainable Development & Productivity Division – SDPD Chief/SDPD Ms. Anhar Hegazi – Water Resources Section - WRS Chief/WRS Ms. Carol Chouchani Cherfane [email protected] – Regional Advisor Environment & Water Ralf Klingbeil [email protected]
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  Ralf Klingbeil Regional Advisor Environment& Water Transboundary Water and Transboundary Aquifers in the Middle East: Opportunities for Sharing a Precious Resource www.escwa.org.lb