Groundwater Governance in the Arab World: Taking Stock and Addressing the Challenges

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This document outlines a research project on groundwater governance in the Arab world. It will examine challenges of groundwater overdraft and regulation through country profiles, analyses of 4 problem aquifers, and stakeholder dialogues. The objectives are to contribute solutions to the groundwater crisis, enhance governance capacity, and share knowledge. Problem aquifers discussed are the Cap Bon aquifer in Tunisia experiencing sea water intrusion, the Beqaa Valley aquifer in Lebanon impacted by individual wells, the Azraq Basin aquifer in Jordan with abstraction exceeding safe yields, and the Liwa Oasis aquifer in the UAE with competing agriculture and tourism uses.

Groundwater Governance in the Arab World:
Taking Stock and Addressing the Challenges
FAO, L&W Days
Amman – Jordan
15th
to 18th
of December 2013

Overarching research questions
Why is there groundwater overdraft, and why is it so hard to curb or
regulate?
What are the governance options available for different contexts,
and how can we make them work?
Research objectives
•To contribute to finding solutions and mitigation measures to the
groundwater crisis in the Arab world
•To enhance capacity building mechanisms for groundwater governance at
the aquifer, regional and national level
•To support the generation and sharing of knowledge on groundwater
governance in the Arab world

Tunisia
Lebanon
Jordan
Yemen
Oman
UAE
Source: Rekacewicz 2008

World experience
MENA experience
6 Country policy profiles
4 problem-aquifers
Desktop syntheses Situated policy analyses
Knowledge
base
Policy narratives
Policy process
Bio-physical setting
Policy process
Legislation, policies,
governance regimes, political
economy,
Implementation of groundwater policy at
national level
Actor dynamics
Informal institutions
Stakeholder opinions and perceptions
Hydrogeology, chemistry,
abstraction levels, energy and
water pricing
Implementation of policy at aquifer
level
Actor dynamics
Local power relations
Land access
Stakeholder opinions and perceptions

World experience
MENA experience
Country policy profiles
4 problem-aquifers
Desktop syntheses Situated policy analyses
Regional science-
policy Dialogue
Knowledge
dissemination
Typologies, contexts,
outcomes, etc
Knowledge
base
Collective work
on policies and
three aquifers
Role games
(computer
interface, social
learning)
Policy briefs
Eng/arabic
Document deposi-
tory &
bibliography
MENA groundwater
Reference website
Network,
Weblinks
White books & action
plans (3 countries)
Awareness
raising
Capacity
building
Groundwater
govern. syntheses
Teaching material
for univ. (arabic)
Linked-in
Aquifer-level
Dialogues
-----------
National/local
stakeholders
involvement in
governance

Problem Aquifer 1
Tunisia – Cap Bon
• Finest agricultural area in
Tunisia
• Highly productive and
diversified aquifer
• Water table lowering leading
to sea water intrusion and
salinity (>15g/l)
• Complex dynamics, low
implication of actors, and
limited organizational means

Problem Aquifer 2
Lebanon – Beqaa Valley
• Intense proliferation of
individual wells impacts
springs and surface water
irrigation systems
• Decline in precipitation
• Heavy use of fertilizers
and pesticides caused
problems of groundwater
pollution

Problem Aquifer 3
Jordan – Azraq Basin
• Intensive pumping for the last 20 years, with abstraction
exceeding safe yield by 260%
• Competing groundwater uses between agriculture and
urban consumption
• Negative impacts on wetland ecosystems in the basin

Problem Aquifer 4
UAE – Liwa Oasis
• UAE derives 72% of water
demand from groundwater
• Liwa aquifer supporting
agriculture with drip irrigation
• Competing uses between
agriculture and increasing
tourism in the area
• Policy implementation
problems due to farmers’
perceptions of groundwater
ownership

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