Groundwater Governance in Lebanon for Sustainable

Development

Talal Darwish, Amin Shaban and Mouin Hamze

National Council for Scientific

Research, Beirut, Lebanon

1. Introduction

•Lebanon was described as the “Water

Tower of the Middle East”, since it has

plenty water resources and receiving

considerable amounts of precipitation

(800-1400mm).

•Meanwhile, Lebanon is witnessing an

obvious water supply shortage since the

last three decades (~40% in average).

•This shortage has been recently exacerbated by climatic

variability and population growth both leading to over

pumping causing GW depletion, coupled with over irrigation

promoting leaching of soluble pollutants and bacterial diseases

followed by increased use of phytopatological chemicals.

•Studies obtained are still inadequate to build a comprehensive

and reliable figure on water resources in Lebanon.

149

Source: 1st World Water Development Report, WWAP, UNESCO, 2003

Lebanon Water

Availability &

Worldwide

2. State of the art

3. Water Resources in Lebanon

Aquiferous

formations

Typically, all elements of the

Water Cycle exist in Lebanon,

including

Surface water & Groundwater

Rivers

, Spring

s Lakes

Snow Wetlands

Off-shore springs

Karstic cavities

A. Shaban

INCAM 1st Training Workshop, 25 – 26 January 2012, Beirut, Lebanon

Water Availability

Quantitative impact

Qualitative impact

Mismanagement

Supply Water Shortage

Water losses Water pollution

Water loss to the sea & Unwise water use

Climate change

Physical setting

Geology

4. Water Challenges in Lebanon

Wasteful use

?

Population growth

Source: WB, 2012

Decline in the

precipitation rate ? •Torrential rain became a common phenomenon. • Obvious shifting in seasonal timing. •Changing hydrologic regime .

4.1. Water challenge/availability

Hail, North Lebanon

6 October 2012

Decline in water volume from different sources

Typical & selective rivers and springs

4.2. Water challenge/availability

Precipitation

(800-

1400mm)

-Snow covers

~2500 km2

(25%)

N

Extensive fault

and fracture

systems

-Steep sloping

terrain

3000 m

4. Water challenge/Physical setting

Amin Shaban

* Long lineament

transport groundwater

from at a range on-land

to the sea.

* Short lineament

transport groundwater

from the costal

aquifers.

5. Recharge conditions

5.1. Natural GW recharge

Role of Sinkholes in GW Recharge

•In Lebanon, there are

tremendous sinkholes on

the top mountains of the

carbonate rock, where

they integrally contribute

in recharging

groundwater reservoirs.

•Notably, they remain

covered by snow for more

than 10 months a year.

More than 93% of productive wells are located within 500m from long fracture

Shaban, 2010

6. Management of GW

6.1. Groundwater Exploration

6.2. Decline in water volume in all wells

20-25 m drawdown in WT

5-10 m drawdown in WT

6.3. Monitoring of Groundwater Discharge

6.4. Groundwater Discharge to the Sea

• A major portion of

groundwater is released to

the sea along rock

deformations and along the

karstic conduits.

•There is a big number of

these springs, with total

discharge of about

400 Mm3/yr.

6.5. Monitoring of Groundwater Quality

50% of monitored wells fall within the unsuitable for any use,

half of them are used for domestic purposes.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

0 10 20 30 40

Wells

NO

3-N

co

nc

en

tra

tio

n, m

g.l-1 2008 May

2008 Nov

2008 Dec

2009 May

2009 July

2010 June

2010 Oct

2011 June

2011 Dec

2012 March

2012 June

Irrigation water

Drinking water

6.6. Groundwater Protection in view of prevailing landuse

Wild

Farming Intensive agriculture

Intensive agriculture

6.8. Groundwater Protection in view of sediment

Level of

application Implementation Previous Recent

National

level:

water sector

strategy

Large-scale lakes and

dams

Qaraaoun Lake Shabrouh Dam

Hydropower Qaraaoun, Kadisha, Joun, Aalay

hyderpower stations

-

Treatment Plants

Emergency rehabilitation of

wastewater network

Wastewater treatments

plants at various level of

implementation

District level

Small-scale dams Qnan and Joun lakes Wadi En-Njas and

Yammouna lakes

Water supply systems Almost previous ones Almost maintenance

implements

Collective water wells - In several regions

Community

level

Water tanks Almost previous ones Few number of tanks

Water wells Several boreholes over long period

Supporting execution

of Local ponds

Local earth ponds Hill ponds

Local supply systems Several local supply systems over long period

7. Previous and recent implementations on water resources in

Lebanon

Proposed implementations for sustainable groundwater development in the Lebanese coastal zone.

Proposed implementations for sustainable groundwater development in the Lebanese coastal zone. Proposed implementations for sustainable groundwater development in the Lebanese coastal zone.

Until October 2011

(Source: CDR, 2012)

7. a. Previous and recent implementations on water

resources in Lebanon:

MoEW water sector strategy

1. Baseline - Water Sector Infrastructure

1. Baseline - Water Sector Management

2. Demand-Supply Forecasts

3. Sector Enabling Environment

4. Strategic Roadmap

5. Investment Plan

http://moew.gov.lb/

• Control and Tarifs of Well exploitation

• UNDP GW Mapping Project

• National Center for Water Information

7. b. Previous and recent implementations on water resources in

Lebanon

MODIS satellite images (Bands 7-2-1), showing the changing in snow cover on the Lebanese mountains after the storm of 15th December 2010

25/12/2010 25/1/2011 15/12/2010

National Council for Scientific Research, Remote Sensing Center Beirut, Lebanon

7. c. Previous and recent implementations on water resources in

Lebanon

Litani River Authority • Water Quantity

Management – Spring Discharge

Monitoring (All over the country)

– Dam and Reservoir Management (Qaraoun Dam)

– Irrigation Channels Building, Control and Monitoring (Canal 900, Qasmiyeh Project, Canal 800, … )

– Meteorological Stations

• Water Quality Management – Continuous monitoring

of water quality in the Upper Litani Basin and Qaraoun Reservoir

– The Central Lab and Service Center of Kherbet Kanafar (west Bekaa)

– Field assessment of water quality using fast, reliable and spontaneous field techniques

– Water Quality Index (0-100 Scale) used for

simple assessment.

”.

7. d. Previous and recent implementations on water resources in

Lebanon

Fragmented water centers at the USJ, NDU…

Research Center for Environment and Development

Arab University of Beirut Pilot screening process for 50 wells in the project:

“Assessment of Agricultural Practices on Water and Soil

Resources in Central Bekaa: 1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of agricultural practices and

challenges facing the cultivation of major agricultural crops.

2. Develop quality and quantity assessment database and risk analysis for

the current status of water and soil resources and pest control.

3. Promote society awareness about management of natural resources.

The study will involve:

I. Socioeconomic and Anthropological Survey

II. Hydro geological Analysis of Water Resources

II. Physical, Chemical and Microbiological Assessment of Water and Soil

III. Data Analysis and Interpretation

IV. Knowledge Transfer and Dissemination

8. Proposed implementations for sustainable GW development

in Lebanon

Monitoring water wells

Artificial recharge

Metering water supply

Public awareness

Governmental control

Capacity building and institutional

strengthening

GW Protection

Using new techniques

Monitoring approaches

Controlling systems and GW

measuring

Knowledge enhancement

New approaches

Coordination actions &

harmonized decisions

Improved water

resources efficiency

Freshwater

Thank You