Water, Resources and Development

Water plays a major role in humanity’s social and economic existence. ‘Available water’ : streams, lakes and groundwater = blue water‘unavailable’ – constrained in oceans or polar ice. ‘Green Water’ – water absorbed by vegetation and returned to the atmosphere.

Water for Life

Oceans Saline 1,350,000, 000km3

97.37%

Snow and Ice Freshwater 27,5000,000 1.98

Groundwater Freshwater 8,200,000 0.59

Atmospheric Freshwater 460,000 0.033

Lakes and Rivers

Freshwater 207,000 0.015

Soil Moisture Freshwater 70,000 0.005

Water Division

Access to Water 1990-2004

Health (hygiene, improvement, disease reduction) Labour availability (health and less effort required to collect

water) Cheaper water (compared to commercial vendors) Improved well-being (more security, less stress) Education (More time, especially for children) Empowerment (through greater community decision making) Income (health and labour improvement raise other

opportunities) Food security and nutrition (household production

opportunities)

Relationships between water development and human livelihoods

Water Scarce countries (i.e. less than 1,000 m3)

700 million people in ‘water stressed’ countries.

World Water Council (2010): ‘While the world's population tripled in the 20th century, the use of renewable water resources has grown six-fold. Within the next fifty years, the world population will increase by another 40 to 50 %. This population growth - coupled with industrialization and urbanization - will result in an increasing demand for water and will have serious consequences on the environment. ‘

UN World Water Development Report (WWDR, 2009) presents an equally gloomy future with these opening comments, ‘At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the Earth, with its diverse and abundant life forms, including over six billion humans, is facing a serious water crisis. All the signs suggest that it is getting worse and will continue to do so, unless corrective action is taken. This crisis is one of water governance, essentially caused by the ways in which we mismanage water.’

Water Scarce Countries

Social and economic development are not dictated by water distribution, although nor are they independent it.

Mismatches between development and ‘natural’ distribution are compounded by changes in hydrological regimes.

Water and Development

Water, Climate Change and Uncertainty

Chain of climate change uncertainty for water resource management

Precipitation intensity increases leading to higher surface runoff Lower seasonal rainfall leading to drought Higher temperatures with lower humidity causing plant water stress Increased potential evaporation Higher peak runoff Lower seasonal runoff Increased glacial meltwater runoff Sea level rises and coastal flooding with associated saline water

intrusion Groundwater recharge declining Increased agricultural (irrigation) demand Increased domestic water demands

Hydrological changes that could impact on water resources

Science and Technology: Engineering technology.

Water dilemmas

or

Economic and political capacity to mobilise resources.

up to 1850s – small private (commercial) water supply companies,

up to 1920s – municipal bodies investing in water and sanitation measures due to health and environmental concerns

Up to 1970s – large scale, national control of water investment and regulation with goals of economic development and social welfare improvement,

post 1970s – period of privatisation and decline of state-led economic development.

Enhancing Strategies

Water Use

Recognised by 75% as an independent state.

Not recognised by the UN.

However it has it’s own water regime and respective management issues.

Palestine: Water Resources

The HDI of Palestine

Human Dev Index

Rank 114 / 0.641  

Health (Life Exp.) 72.8

Education Index 0.674

GNI per Capita $2,656

Inequality n/a

Poverty Index 0.005

Gender n/a

Sustainability n/a

Demography (pop)

4,152,400

(United Nations Development Programme, 2011)

International recognition of the State of Palestine

Conflict with surrounding states and associated import restrictions

Food shortages

Lack of central government

Lack of international recognition as a sovereign state

The Political Issues of Palestine

Arid region Only 69% of Palestinian communities are

connected to water networks Water consumption below WHO’s minimum

standard Restrictions of transboundary water supplies Dependency on an Aquifer system

Water Use & Provision in Palestine

Dependency upon an Aquifer system which discharges 600-660 Mm3 annually

However West Bank Palestinians exploit a mere 115-123 Mm3

Israel controls the westward-flowing aquifers and all waters flowing eastward into the Jordan River

Palestine’s Aquifer Dependency

Annual rainfall is likely to decrease, with proximity to the Mediterranean Sea.

The last 7 years have already seen precipitation levels fall.

The Levant is the most effected region by changes in precipitation in the Middle East.

4.5°C suggested surface temperature rise and 25% precipitation decrease by the end of the century.

Predictions of Climate Change in the Levant

The aquifer system will be severely effected, the replenishment rate is expected to decrease by up to 60%.

25% decrease in precipitation the Upper River Jordan catchment.

The Mediterranean Sea is expected to rise, leading to salinization of the aquifer system.

Downscaling the Effects of Climatic Change to Palestine

2.5% to 5% decrease in agricultural grain yield by 2080 – exacerbating food shortages.

Lack of political stability inhibits their access to water resources, restraining adaption to climate change.

In the absence of a clear political structure, there is no clear water management plan, with or without respect to climate change.

Increasing price of imported water They don’t have the economic resources to desalinize.

Palestine’s Water Outlook in Relation to Political and Climatic Pressures

Information on Water Resources For the selected country the water resource environment should be described

using information from FAO Aquastat at, http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/main/index.stm  online data base http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/data/query/index.html?lang=en  The data is organised into

Geography and Population Water Resources (precipitation, total renewable resources) Water Use (agriculture, industry and domestic). Irrigation Conservation Health

UN Policy Brief Challenge