INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT IN ARID AND SEMIARID COUNTRIES ? EXPERIENCES OF GIZ IS AND DORNIER CONSULTING IN THE MENA REGION

Renewable water resources are limited in arid and semiarid countries. The lack of surface waters and groundwater recharge makes the use of non-renewable groundwater resources inevitable. In many countries in the MENA Region (Middle East/North Africa), non-renewable groundwater is the major resource for both municipal and agricultural water demand. Integrated Management of non-renewable groundwater resources has to cope with the fact, that the resources are dwindling, and sustainability in terms of a balanced water budget cannot be achieved. Hence, focus must be set on the economic and social welfare resulting from the use of these limited resources. Long-term water management plans are needed to overcome economic inefficiencies within the water sector and to ensure a safe water supply for the present and future generations. In the MENA region, the technical development and rapid population growth lead to an overexploitation of the non-renewable groundwater resources, mainly by agricultural users, resulting in water quality deterioration, local water shortage, and establishment of expensive long-distance water supply systems. Here, todays major challenges of Integrated Water Management are: (1) to mitigate the user conflict between municipal and agricultural users, (2) to protect the dwindling resources, and (3) to implement an economic view on the water sector. Facing these challenges ensures the best use of the non-renewable resources, turning them into economic and social welfare for the population.