Consensus building for the integrated management of Nahr el-Kabir basin Yusuf Al-Mooji 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 km 2 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 Faults Anticline 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

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

Natural characteristics : geo(hydro)logical features Rainfall –Southern catchment (Akkar): 1000 mm –Sahlet el Bqaiaa (Tell Kolkh): 871 mm –Watershed range (mean annual): mm Surface water discharge ( ) –Arida station (Safa-Raweel): 165 Mm 3 –Daboussiyeh station (Noura el Tahta-Arouss): 323 Mm 3

Natural characteristics : geo(hydro)logical features Groundwater discharge (springs) –Safa-Raweel sub-basin: Mm 3 (Nassiriyah, Farash, Safa) –Noura el Tahta-Arouss: 13.8 Mm 3 (Khalifa) Groundwater recharge –Recharge estimated at 15% of rainfall in Akkar Hydraulic parameters –Transmissivity > 10-2 m 2 /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