Best Practices and Experiences

in NCWRM in the ESCWA Region

Carol Chouchani Cherfane

Chief, Water Resources Section

Sustainable Development and Productivity Division

�Water Scarcity: Most Arab countries (including ESCWA countries) are among the most water scarce countries in world having less than 1,000 m3 of renewable water resources per capita per year.

� Population Growth: Arab population grew from 173 million (1980) to 352.2 million (2009); ESCWA 253 million (2009) represents 72% of Arab population

CONDITIONS LEADING TO NCWR

USERenewable Water Resources in Arab Countries per

capita

Source: ESCWA regional chapter to forthcoming World Water Development Report 4

Threatens Water Security

� ESCWA countries have responded to water constraints by turning to non-conventional water resources to varied degrees.

� Extent of use depends upon what is defined as a NCWR.

� FAO/AQUASTAT defines NCWR as (1) desalinated water; (2) adequately treated domestic or industrial waste water; or (3) agricultural drainage water, although other NCWR emerging.

3

NCWR USE IN ESCWA REGION

DesalinationTreated

Wastewater Reuse

Agricultural Drainage Water

Water Harvesting

Cloud Seeding

Coastal Springs

� Desalination much more extensive than treated wastewater reuse in Gulf, though current and comparable data difficult to secure.

Source: FAO, AQUASTAT. Treated wastewater date for Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE is from

the year 2006, 2002, and 2006 respectively.

Desalination and Treated Wastewater Reuse in selected ESCWA

countries

DESALINATION

� Desalination types, mix & trends vary between ESCWA countries:� Reverse osmosis (RO): Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine (80-100%)

� Multi-stage flash (MSF): Kuwait (82%); Qatar (62%); KSA (46%)

� Multi-effect distillation (MED): KSA (10%); Qatar (16%); Kuwait (0%)

� Other: 10%

DESALINATION: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COUNTRIES

Source: ESCWA Water Development Report 3, p.8, Figure 8

Major desalination plants in the Gulf sub-region

Feed water also varies in source & mix, though largely

seawater (83%);

brackish water (10%);

wastewater (2%)

for 2008

� Desalination as a industry – and promotion as green industry?

• Desalination capacity of Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounts for over 30% of global desalinated freshwater production.

• Desalination increasing in Egypt due to real estate and tourism expansion.

• GCC examining desal as an industry: R&D, O&M, training, jobs, exports

• Not better than fossil groundwater extraction?

DESALINATION: EXPERIENCE FROM THE FIELD

Examining the full cost of Desalination� Water-Energy Linkages• Energy rich v/s Energy

poor endowments cause difference

• Solar options being explored, but not well developed: KSA, UAE

• Transfer/transmission costs need to be considered

• Environmental externalities (CO2

emissions)Source: ESCWA Water Development Report 3 (2009)

� Overcapacity: leading to non-conventional water resources management practices; inefficiencies and waste prevail.

DESALINATION: EXPERIENCE FROM THE FIELD

Desalination Over capacity in GCC counties

Water-Energy Co-generation

Plants

Water Security: Planning for future growth (population &

economic)

Increase Household

Storage Capacity (Bahrain, Qatar,

Yemen)

New Option: Managed Aquifer

Recharge(Bahrain)

Water Security: Reducing Risks

Despite over capacity, bottled water consumption in GCC very high.

Salinity, quality transferred through transmission networks not trusted by consumers

� Bahrain

– The Government of Bahrain considers to implement Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) schemes in Damman Aquifer to increase freshwater resources availability in times of emergency, and to lower the salinity of the groundwater in some places.

– This aims to make best use of treated sewage effluent, short-term/seasonal surpluses, water from desalination plants and storm water runoff.

MANAGED AQUIFER RECHARGE: STORAGE & SUSTAINABILITY

– First national technical consultation meeting was held in October 2010 where all major stakeholders of MAR participated.

– Being supported through ESCWA Regional Advisory Services

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Wastewater Treated Volume of selected ESCWA countries

Source: FAO, AQUASTAT

� Treated wastewater have increased in some ESCWA countries, but quantification remains difficult so trend analysis should beviewed with caution.

TREATED WASTEWATER REUSE

TREATED WASTEWATER REUSE - TYPES

Varied uses in the ESCWA Region:

� Irrigation – for agriculture

� Greenification – for green belts and to combat desertification

�Common in GCC and Egypt

� Cooling and reuse – Bahrain Airport reusing treated grey water for cooling, greenification at airport; under consideration for shopping mall as well

� Managed Aquifer Recharge – being explored, for storage for alternative uses sources to be served through pumping, but also in coastal aquifers to reduce saltwater intrusion.

NCWR and TWR referenced in Arab Water Security Strategy

officially adopted in June 2011

TREATED WASTEWATER REUSE:

LESSONS� Food security and food safety

� Concern by farmers and domestic consumers; Awareness raising needed

� Regulatory regime and infrastructure needed to ensure confidence

� Trade barriers: sanitary & phytosanitary measures on agricultural exports

� Testing by mutually accredited/recognized labs helping to overcome barriers

� Issues emerged between ESCWA countries on this issue, but have been overcome recently based on increased treated wastewater reuse and testing capacity.

� Development Planning: Locating new wastewater treatment plans now being considered within development strategies and plans

� Lebanon: Looking to install at least 3 wastewater treatment plants in Keserouan (mountainous areas that drains into Beirut water supply source): becomes question of groundwater contamination concerns if wastewater treatment failures occur (or insufficient demand captured)

� UAE/Abu Dhabi: Using TWR as means to create communities in the desert (Viola plant)

� Bahrain: Proximity between treatment plans and user is ‘far’, thus transfer of treated wastewater for reuse needs to be balanced with other options or goals.

AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF REUSE

� Not so ‘non-conventional’ in water scarce regions

�Part of FAO/AQUASTAT reporting on NCWR

� Challenges

� Pesticide and nitrate concentrations

� Washing in and mixing with other wastewater streams

� Poor quality has implications for downstream users – both within a country and between countries

� Regional Experience

� Egypt: Agricultural runoff reuse for agriculture and fisheries – some resulting problems for food safety related to fisheries industry affecting consumer health and exports

� Turkey-Syria: Agricultural runoff from Turkey into Syria part of ‘shared water resources management’ challenge: quality as well as the quantity of this agricultural run off affects agricultural sector in Northern Syria negatively. (ESCWA-BGR pilot project)

CLOUD SEEDING: WEATHER

MODIFICATION

� Cloud seeding programs in the region –Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, and UAE (ESCWA countries) + Algeria, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco (Non-ESCWA countries)

Country Starting Year Notes

Algeria 1952Non-ESCWA Arab

CountriesLibyan Arab Jamahiriya 1971

Morocco 1983

Jordan 1986

ESCWA Countries

Iraq 1989

Saudi Arabia 1990

Syrian Arab Republic 1991

UAE 2000

The beginning years of cloud seeding in Arab countries

Source: Al-Fenadi, n.d., Cloud seeding experiments in Arab Countries: History and Result, p.2. Table 2

� UAE– Government of UAE (Department of Atmospheric Studies) has

implemented a program introducing cloud seeding in the UAE.

– In May 2008, it is reported that a thunderstorm was produced as a result of cloud seeding test.

– In 2010 summer, it is reported that 50 rain storms were created by cloud seeding project in the Abu Dhabi desert.

In light of increasing investments in this area (China included), this is introducing a new legal

transboundary management issue:

Who owns the clouds?

CLOUD SEEDING: EXPERIENCE

WATER HARVESTING: RAINWATER

COLLECTION

� Water Harvesting has been done since ancient times – again not so ‘non-conventional’

� Palestine – rainwater collection is common practice.

� Oman – water harvesting is being used for groundwater recharge.

� Sudan – water harvesting has been made a national priority.

� The Government decided to upgrade the former Dams Implementation Unit

in the Ministry of Electricity and Dams, and provided additional funding

for the construction of water harvesting infrastructure.

� Supported by ESCWA Regional Advisory Services

� New Government

remains interested

WATER HARVESTING: FOG COLLECTION

� Some ESCWA countries also studying fog collection technologies and options.

� Yemen

– 26 standard fog collectors (1 m2) were installed in 2002 and 2003.

– The best average daily production was 4.5 litres/m2 over winter period.

– Subsequently, 25 large fog collectors (40 m2) were constructed in 2004, which provides 4,500 litres of drinking water per day during the dry winter season.

� Saudi Arabia

– 3 standard fog collectors were installed in Asir region, and the best average daily water production of 11.5 litre/m2 was obtained during winter period(November to January).

– This indicates that fog collection can be a meaningful source of water supply in Asir region of Saudi Arabia.

� However, weather modification and fog collection need to be further examined, with improved monitoring and reporting on outcomes.

COASTAL FRESHWATER SPRINGS

� ESCWA region’s extensive coastline make this an issue to consider in various member countries, including Lebanon and Bahrain, but still at early stages of exploration / exploitation.

� Challenges:

� Studies have been undertaken, but further research needed

� Remote sensing and GIS being used to support mapping of these freshwater resources originating from groundwater resources and coastal aquifers

� Significant resources seem available in Med and other regional seas

� Implications for Biodiversity: if consumed, how does that affect sea salinity? Could it impact the biodiversity mix and coastal fisheries?

� Transboundary issue

� As freshwater becomes increasing scare, could introduce territorial conflicts such as those evidenced by off-sea oil and gas reserves

� Is there an UNCLOS agreement for freshwater resources in our future?

NEXT STEPS:

INTER/INTRA-REGIONAL EXCHANGES

� Evident experience in region on use of different NCWRs

� Opportunities for inter/intra regional exchange: intra-ESCWA; intra-Arab; inter-Arab/ESCWA and Med countries

� Desalination Industry Experience and the GCC

�GCC interested in increased exchange and expansion of knowledge and technical experience on desalination

� Water Harvesting and Benefiting from Local Best Practices

� Field study exchanges currently under preparation between Sudan and Oman.

�Most certainly opportunities exist between other countries as well

NEXT STEPS:

MDG+ INITIATIVE

� “Establishing a Regional Mechanism for Improved Monitoring and Reporting on Access to Water Supply and Sanitation Services in the Arab Region”(MDG+ Initiative)

� Endorsed by LAS Arab Ministerial Water Council to set up regional specific indicators for monitoring and reporting on water supply and sanitation. NCWR integral part of regional initiative� First Ministerial Session (Algiers, 2009) – requested ESCWA to

establish regional mechanism for monitoring/reporting on regional specific WSS indicators in partnership with ACWUA, CEDARE, AWC and RAED

� MDG+ Indicators formulated by ESCWA and finalized in consultation with partners, WHO and Arab Governments and endorsed by AMWC

� Template/questionnaire prepared and endorsed by Arab Summit (January 2011) as part of Arab regional input to MDG follow-up

NEXT STEPS:

MDG+ INITIATIVE

MDG+ IndicatorsWater Supply Sanitation

• Water consumption

• Continuity of supply

• Water quality

• Distance to source

• Tariff structure

• Affordability

• Treated quantity

• Treatment type

• Reuse utilization

• Reuse type

• Tariff structure

• Affordability

�Purpose is to consider not only accessibility to improved infrastructure, but also reliability, regularity, affordability,sustainability and quality of service provided.

�Differentiates between conventional/non-conventional sources: Supply: rainwater harvesting; Sanitation:

raw/treated reuse

�These are particularly important issues to consider in water scarce environments and developing countries.

NEXT STEPS:

MDG+ INITIATIVE

Objectives and outcomes:

� Will create regional knowledge base on these indicators

� Will support regional dialogue and priority-setting on these issues,

� Will support national water planning, as will help to mainstream NCRW in national water planning decisions targeting water supply and sanitation

� Set up supported by National Monitoring Teams that would also create awareness, trust and support for these indicators that link water ministries with utilities and other key actors (health, statistics, planning, etc).

� Advisory Board provides technical backstopping:

� ESCWA, ACWUA, CEDARE, AWC, RAED, WHO and LAS Secretariat

Thank you!

Carol Chouchani Cherfane

Chief, Water Resources Section

Sustainable Development and Productivity Division

UN-ESCWA

Tel: +961 1 978 518

Fax: +961 1 981 510

Email: chouchanicherfane@un.org

Web: www.escwa.un.org