Transcript Optimization for Sustainable Water Resources Lebanon Case Study The Lower Litani River Basin Earth Link and Advanced Resources Development (ELARD) in cooperation with The Lebanese.

Optimization for Sustainable Water Resources
Lebanon Case Study
The Lower Litani River Basin
Earth Link and Advanced Resources Development (ELARD)
in cooperation with
The Lebanese National Center for Remote Sensing (NCRS)
Malta
October 28-29, 2004
Environmental and Water Resources
Management Consultants
Lebanese National Center for
Remote Sensing
OUTLINE
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Introduction
Integrated Water Resources Management
Description of Case Study
Key Stakeholders
Main Water Uses and Users
Driving Forces
Water issues and challenges
SWOT analysis
Data requirements and constraints
Conclusions
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INTRODUCTION
 This case study will be prepared by ELARD, a regional
consulting firm in the fields of environmental and water
resources management based in Lebanon, in cooperation
with the Lebanese National Center for Remote Sensing
(NCRS)
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OBJECTIVES OF IWRM
 To conserve water through a more efficient allocation of
the resource and protection of its quality;
 To solve conflicts among competing uses and users;
 To account for the social, economic and environmental
value of water;
 To increase the participation of communities and the
private sector in decision-making and financing.
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Economic
Instruments
STRESSES
Population growth, industrial, agricultural and touristic development,
environmental and ecological needs, climate change, lack of awareness
Primary Effects
Water Quality
Management
Deteriorated
Water Quality
Increased Water
Demand
Smaller Increase in
Water Supply
Water Supply
Management
Water Demand
Management
Economic
Instruments
Less Water of Adequate
Quality Available
Secondary Effects
Increased conflicts
Stakeholder participatory
approach for
conflict resolution
More complex management
and insufficient capacity of
institutions
- Institutional and legal
development
- Capacity building
- Private sector
participation
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Increased needs by
local communities
- Community
Involvement
- Capacity Building
Need for costly
investments
Private Sector
Participation
DESCRIPTION OF CASE STUDY
 The Lebanon case study covers the lower Litani River
Basin
 It is part of the area that has been recently liberated from
Israeli occupying forces
 It is therefore prone to extensive development, hence
important stresses on water resources are anticipated and
conflicts among different users likely to occur
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OPTIMA - Lebanon Case Study
OPTIMA - Lebanon Case Study
OPTIMA - Lebanon Case Study
OPTIMA - Lebanon Case Study
OPTIMA - Lebanon Case Study
THE STAKEHOLDERS
Public Authorities / agencies
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MoEW (Ministry of Energy and Water)
South Lebanon Water and Wastewater Establishment
LRA ( Litani River Authority)
MoE (Ministry of Environment)
MoPWT (Ministry of Public Works and Transport)
MoPH (Ministry of Public Health)
MoA (Ministry of Agriculture)
MoSA (Ministry of Social Affairs)
Lebanese Meteorological service
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THE STAKEHOLDERS (cont’d)
Research bodies
– NCSR, NCRS
– Universities
Local communities
– Municipalities
– NGOs
Private Sector / users
– Farmers, COOPs
– Industries
– Consultants, water resources experts, water utility companies (?)
International Organizations
– UNIFIL, USAID
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Water Uses and Users
 Irrigation / farmers
 Domestic use/ local communities
 Industrial use
 Tourism / recreational
 Environmental flow
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Driving Forces
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Population growth (new developing area)
Change in land use and development strategies
Technological change
Environmental needs
Climate change
Socio-economic conditions
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Water Issues and Challenges
 Inadequate legal and institutional frameworks with
proper enforcement mechanisms
 Lack of know-how of "Decision-makers"
 “Non-coordination" among institutions
 Lack of proper "pricing" framework
 Lack of "dissemination" of information to different
stakeholders
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Water Issues and Challenges (cont’d)
 Lack of human resources capable of addressing water
management issues
 Lack of participatory structures with active community
involvement
 Lack of sound environment for private sector
participation
 Lack of sufficient data on quantities, quality, demand,
climate, etc. (lack of monitoring data)
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SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths
 Availability of groundwater
 Presence of major surface water courses
 Presence of Litani River Authority that manages
major irrigation projects
 Limited industrial activities
 Acceptable level of urbanization
 Feasibility study for water supply in the area
already prepared
Weaknesses
 Peak demand for irrigation occurs during summer
when water is least available
 Old water supply infrastructure leading to
excessive losses
 Lack of wastewater management infrastructure
 Lack of adequate monitoring data for proper
assessment of water resources
 Insufficient level of awareness and knowledge of
best management practices in agriculture
 Inadequate water pricing and lack of economic
incentives for efficient water use and less
polluting practices
Opportunities
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Interest from international funding sources in the
development of the new liberated south leading to
potential financial assistance that can be used in
water resource management activities/projects
Threats
 Attraction of new investments that could pose a
stress to water resources if not properly planned
 Sensitivity to geo-political context that hinders
economic development
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Trend towards privatization
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Data Needs / Constraints
Monitoring Need
IWRM Trinity
Component
Comments
Meteorological data
Water supply
Data on precipitation, humidity, solar radiation, temperature, wind speed
and direction are important to assess the water resources and
perform accurate water balances; data on snow cover is also very
important and is completely non-existent; meteorological data is
limited in the area and poses a severe limitation to reliable water
resources management plans
Surface water gauging data
Water supply
Water demand
The LRA maintains a network of river limnigraphic stations that are
used to measure rivers flow; it is important to upgrade this
network to include more stations along the different rivers to be
able to track upstream diversions and monitor river discharge,
which is important in water balance estimations
Groundwater level
Water supply
Water demand
Groundwater level is not systematically monitored; such data is very
important to assess the level of water exploitation and monitor
groundwater use
Water consumption
Water demand
Metering systems should be instituted for different water uses including
domestic and agriculture; this would represent a first step towards
controlling water losses, and moving towards a water pricing
mechanism that would encourage water savings
Surface water and groundwater
quality
Water quality
There is no systematic monitoring of surface or groundwater quality in
the country;
Effluent monitoring and
compliance monitoring
Water quality
Compliance monitoring is very important to secure water quality; while
standards were developed for effluents discharge in water bodies,
little has been done to ensure compliance to these standards
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CONCLUSIONS
 Data needed for optimisation of water resources is not
readily available
 There are also numerous challenges beyond technical
ones towards a sustainable water resources management
in the area (legal, institutional, economic, social)
 This case study should serve however as an important
example / model to be replicated in other river basins in
the country
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Thanks to all those who have put
so much effort to organize this
kick-off meeting (great job!)
Questions are welcome...
OPTIMA - Lebanon Case Study