This document summarizes the key issues around allocating environmental water requirements for Lake Urmia in Iran using an ecohydrological approach. It discusses how declining water levels in the lake due to human and climatic factors have led to a national outcry. A multi-stakeholder process was established to allocate water among the three provinces sharing the lake basin. After 21 months of discussions, a water allocation decision was reached for the first time based on stakeholder involvement and transparency. However, technical uncertainties remained an issue during the process. Further analysis of ethical and cultural perspectives was recommended to better inform water allocation decisions.

1. Lessons Learned from National Experiences: Allocating Environmental Water requirements of Lake Urmia, Iran: an Ecohydrological Approach Mukhtar Hashemi ❶ Associate Researcher, The Centre for Land Use and Water Resources Research (CLUWRR), Newcastle University, UK; ❷ Scientific Advisor, The Office of Applied Researches, IWRMC, Ministry of Energy, Iran ❸ National IWRM Consultant, UNDP/GEF Conservation of Iranian Wetlands Project, Department of Environment, Iran 22-24 Feb 2011 Amman- Jordan Kempinski Hotel WANA Forum Consultation Workshop

3. The setting Lake Urmai Basin Iran

4. The setting: Lake Urmia Basin, Iran Lake area ~5000 km sq. Basin area ~52,000 Population (2006): 5.9 M

5. Includes some 13 major urban cities: 2 mega cities 7 % total Iran water resources and 3% of total area Major agro economy Lake Urmia Salt lake Irrigated area 590,000 ha Further planned 600,000

6. Water resources Development 63 dams

7. Dams: 1. Feasibility study stage 2. Under constructions 3. Existing EA: 36 dams 760 MCM WA: 22 dams 2960 MCM Kurdistan 5 dams 148 MCM 17 permanent rivers 14 seasonal rivers 39 flood routes

8. Lake Urmia: a view from inside

9. Simply : not enough water to the Lake: up to 7 km retreat

10. Lake Urmia: Costal retreat

11. A hydrodynamic scar: Highway bisecting the lake

12. Inflow decreased by 60% from average mean inflow (Long term)

13. Climatic variations and Drought: P downward trend 76 mm less than average

14. Impact on the Lake: Climatic Source: Williams, 2002) Salt lakes: Temp, P, net evaporation

18. National Outcry: The fear: another Aral

19. April 2010 1271.61 1277.69 Min ecological 1274.1 Mean 1275.37

20. Lake Level changes: sea of salt 1995 2001 2009

23. Institutional Design

28. socio-economic system Water Resources System natural system Institutional system infrastructure laws, regulations, management impacts demands Integrated water resources management, IWRM

29. Integrated Socio-technical and Institutional, ISTI Framework ,

31. DPSIR has four characteristics

32. Variables Examples D, the Drivers: root causes on a macro level described through scenarios representing alternative futures - Climate change: Climatic driver controls availability of water resources in time and space - Socio-economic drivers include local and global economic development, lifestyles etc - Social: Population growth - Economic: affordability and incentive measures - Institutional: compliance, privatization, legislations/regulation and administrative issues P, The Pressures (threats) variables: immediate causes - Demand for water from various sectors - Pollution which impacts on water quality and constrains resource availability e.g. the amount of pollution by wastewater S, The States: describing physical and measurable characteristics and social livelihood systems -Income levels, poverty levels - Natural resources/environmental: availability of water/energy/land, water consumption indices, Chemical composition of water, ecosystem state/biodiversity -Economic: level and security of investments, Condition of assets/infrastructure - Social: access to water/link with poverty, ability to pay, social capacity, employment in the water industry - Institutional: institutional arrangements, governance frameworks, capacity and functioning I, The Impacts: monitor the long term impacts of change defined as changes in states resulting from pressures - urbanisation -diseases caused by polluted water -changes in consumption behaviour, -environmental degradation R, The Responses: are problem-solving policies, actions or investments; an appropriate mix of Structural Options e.g. new reservoirs/pipelines etc and Non-Structural Options e.g. legislation, institutional reform, demand management etc. assemble portfolio of Options into robust Management Strategy -Social: capacity building and awareness raising campaigns. - Environmental: source protection, -Economic: the use of water saving infrastructure, incentives. - Institutional: efficiency measures, accountability, transparency, integration approach

35. Vensim System Dynamic Simulation water balance & Water Allocation

36. Comparison of Lake level under different conditions/simulations

37. IAD: Multi-level institutional framework

38. Rules outcome: Sectoral provincial water allocation and consupmtion ACTION ARENA Actors and Action situation Individuals’ actions that directly affect state variables in the world OPERATIONAL LEVEL COLLECTIVE-CHOICE LEVEL Government policies External factors decison making prespective: Ethical/ cultural: Actors’ Perception of water rights/ ethics in rules Figure 2: Analysis approach: (Ostrom, 1999, 2005) Attributes of the community Biophysical conditions Bulk provincial Water Allocation CONSTITUTIONAL LEVEL council of Ministers / National Commitee/ Supreme Water Council /Parliament /Council of Expediency

39. Multilevel analytical framework:

40. Action situation: water allocation decisions

41. Outcome: provincial/sectoral water allocation Provincial Water Companies PROVENCIAL LEVEL (Constitutional, collective choice and operational) NATIONAL LEVEL (constitutional, collective choice and operational) Parliament Supreme Water Council Council of Ministers MoE: Water Allocation Commission IWRMC: WR Planning Directorate Figure 3 Actors Water , Agriculture & Natural Resources Commission MoE: Parliamentarian Undersecretary Governors office: Water and Agriculture Commision

42. water resources development policies /water pricing. Bulk water allocation, 1982 Fair water Distribution Act Water Pricing Bill/ water prices Development Bill/ statuary allocation priorities 2003 Water Allocation By-Law PROVENCIAL LEVEL (Constitutional, collective choice and operational) NATIONAL LEVEL (constitutional, collective choice and operational) Constitution, Water Vision, Council of Expediency and Supreme Leader’s Water Directive , other relevant Acts e.g. 1905 Civil Code revised 1989; 1974 Environmental Act Provincial water allocation priorities outcome: Provincial sectoral water allocations Figure 4 Rules

51. MSP speed is…………slow 21 months to make a decision

54. IDA Framework Rules in Use Community Attributes Biophysical Conditions Ethical and Cultural Perspective enrichment of faith enrichment of intellect/ reason safeguarding posterity enrichment of wealth invigorating the Human self human development Maqasid Model Revelation/ religion Experiences culture Intellect /reason Islamic Legal Theory sustainability science IWRM Framework environmental sustainability equity/ justice economic efficiency IWRM plan good governance DPSIR Analytical Framework Pressures Drivers State/impact Responses

55. Thanks for your attention School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences