Manzoor Qadir

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)

Regional Conference on Advancing Non-conventional Water Resources Management in the

Mediterranean, 14-15 September, Athens, Greece

Trade-offs of Wastewater Reuse in the Southern

and Eastern Mediterranean

Key issues and challenges in SEM

� Several countries in the Southern

and Eastern Mediterranean

(SEM) have yet to reach full-

capacity wastewater treatment

� Policies and regulatory measures

that encourage wastewater

treatment and reuse of treated

wastewater are lacking

� Wastewater is available to the

farmers in untreated or

inadequately treated forms

Farmers Perspectives in SEM

� Farmers irrigate with treated,

untreated or inadequately

treated wastewater because of

� Freshwater scarcity

� Year-round availability of

wastewater

� Greater cropping intensity

� Savings on fertilizer applications

� Low pumping cost if alternate

source is deep groundwater

Tradeoffs of Untreated Wastewater Reuse

� Economic incentives and

other benefits for the

farmers

� Health Implications and

medical treatment costs

� Natural resource and

environmental degradation

� Climate change – untreated

wastewater irrigation nexus

Economic Benefits

Health Implications and Treatment Costs

� Target Group: Children within 8-12 years

� Wastewater versus groundwater irrigated area

� Waterborne and non-waterborne diseases

Non-waterborne Diseases

Waterborne Diseases

Medical Treatment Costs

Natural Resource and Environmental Degradation

Salinity and Sodicity Interaction

Nitrogen in Groundwater

Heavy Metals in Groundwater

Climate Change – Wastewater Irrigation Nexus

High-intensity rainfall events leading to surface runoff and

transport of salts and contaminants from soils irrigated with

untreated or inadequately treated wastewater to nearby good

soils irrigated with freshwater or rain-fed

Salinity Build-up in Adjacent Area

Conclusions

� Urban wastewater in water scarce SEM countries is a valuable resource that needs:

� Implementation of adequate wastewater treatment and its regulated reuse

� Monitoring systems and implementation of standards and guidelines

� Skilled human resources and supportive institutions

� Pertinent and flexible policy frameworks

� Regulated reuse of treated wastewater in SEM countries offers great promise for environment and health protection as well as livelihoods resilience