Submitted to the conference on Submitted to the conference on

Water Crisis and Agricultural Development in Palestine

Conference Topic: Water and Agricultural Policies in Palestine

May 21-22, 2012

Disclaimer: This work represents the opinion of

the authors and does not represent the views of the Utah Geological Survey and/or the Brigham Young University.

The Western Aquifer

Basin (WAB) is a shared

inter-boundary

groundwater basin

between the West Bank

and Israel. Two thirds

of the Palestinians in of the Palestinians in

the West Bank (1.5

million capita) are

living within the

upstream portion of the

WAB, where 75 percent

of its geologic aquifer

outcrops (recharge

area) are located.

� This paper presents an updated average

water budget for the Western Aquifer

Basin shared between the West Bank

and Israel based on the 10-year (2001-

2010) average available records of 2010) average available records of

hydro-meteorological data.

� Study the potential for agricultural

development in Tulkarem and Qalqiliya

governorates.

The WAB consists of two main aquifers:

� The Upper Cenomanian-Turonian Aquifer (upper

aquifer; 200-250 meters of average thickness)

� The Lower Cenomanian Aquifer (lower aquifer; 300-

400 meters of average thickness).

Both aquifer layers are separated by an

intermediate aquitard layer (100-150 meters

thick). However, in some places both

aquifers are hydraulically connected to form

a one combined aquifer known as the

Cenomanian-Turonian Aquifer.

Spatial Distribution of Precipitation

Spatial Distribution of Evapotranspiration

Spatial Distribution of Runoff

Spatial Distribution of Recharge

� Modified Penman-Montieth method was used to estimate the ET0 based on available weather data. Crop properties and estimated ET0 were used to estimate the crop evapotranspiration using the equation: ETc = Kc * ET0

The Water Budget was estimated using the � The Water Budget was estimated using the equation:

P – ETc – Ru – Re = Change in storage/minor losses

where,

P Precipitation/Rainfall grid

ETc Crop evapotranspiration grid

Ru Runoff grid (Rainfall Excess)

Re Recharge grid

� The 10-year average water budget volumes

for the entire WAB (WB + Israel) were

estimated at :

� Precipitation is 1143 MCM/yr � Precipitation is 1143 MCM/yr

� ETc is 690 MCM/yr

� Runoff is 47 MCM/yr

� Recharge is 350 MCM/yr

� The 10-year average water budget volumes

for the West Bank portion of the WAB were

estimated at :

Precipitation is 889 MCM/yr � Precipitation is 889 MCM/yr

� ETc is 548 MCM/yr

� Runoff is 34 MCM/yr

� Recharge is 263 MCM/yr

�The 10-year average water budget volumes

for Tulkarem and Qalqiliya Governorates were

estimated at :

�Precipitation is 247 MCM/yr

�ETc is 137 MCM/yr

�Runoff is 10.7 MCM/yr

�Recharge is 81.4 MCM/yr

� Although the WAB’s West Bank

portion receives an average recharge

of 263 MCM/yr, the 2010 Palestinian

water extraction was limited to a

total of 30 MCM/yr (11%). While the total of 30 MCM/yr (11%). While the

rest (233 MCM/yr) of WAB’s recharge

is being fully utilized by Israel.

� The Upper Cenomanian-Turonian

Aquifer receives a 10-year (2001-2010)

average recharge of 271 MCM/yr, of

which 208 MCM/yr (77 percent) is

received within the entire West Bank

boundary.boundary.

� The Lower Cenomanian Aquifer receives

a 10-year (2001-2010) average recharge

of 79 MCM/yr, of which 55 MCM/yr (70

percent) is received within the entire

West Bank boundary.

� The 2010 water use by irrigated

agriculture in the Tulkarem and Qalqiliya

governorates is about 17 MCM/yr from

119 agricultural wells.

� There is a potential for agricultural

development in the Tulkarem and

Qalqiliya governorates because only

31,000 dunums are currently irrigated 31,000 dunums are currently irrigated

out of 233,000 dunums of cultivated.

� Assuming no Israeli restrictions on the

Palestinian water use, such expansion of

irrigated land could be achieved using

the extra 56 MCM/yr more aquifer

recharge than current water use.

� Salfit, Nablus, Ramallah, Jerusalem,

Bethlehem, and Hebron governorates

partially overlie the WAB’s aquifers

and receive a total estimated

recharge of 182 MCM/yr, while the recharge of 182 MCM/yr, while the

total water pumping from the WAB’s

aquifers in these governorates is only

3 MCM/yr for all purposes.

There is an urgent need to install at

least 20 hydrometric stations at the

stream outlets right before they cross

the West Bank/Israel border to

measure stream flow generated

Recommendations

measure stream flow generated

within the West Bank boundary along

with other meteorological data on an

hourly or daily basis. All hydrometric

stations used in this study are located

inside Israel and none are located in

the West Bank.