Future Trends in Agricultural Water Management and Institutional Innovations in Palestine By Marwan Haddad Water and Environmental Studies Institute (WESI) An-Najah National University May 21-22, 2012
Future Trends in Agricultural Water Management and Institutional Innovations in Palestine
By Marwan Haddad
Water and Environmental Studies Institute (WESI)
An-Najah National University
May 21-22, 2012
Outline
• Importance
• Study Area
• Agricultural and Water Management Problems
• Agricultural and Water Management Prospects
• Concluding Remarks
Importance (1)
• Agricultural sector plays a crucial role in the social well being and still provides sustenance and employment for a sizeable portion of the population in Palestine.
• The agricultural sector, which utilizes about 60% of total water resources, has a fraction of the total GDP outcome each year.
Therefore, it is important that
(1) Palestinian agriculture need to be looked at from cultural heritage angle and point of view
(2) new irrigation methods like drip irrigation are installed in order to reduce wastage of water in the agricultural sector.
(3) irrigation infrastructure should be set in place that would utilize treated wastewater
Importance (2)
Improving and/or Reforming Agricultural Water Management and Water Institutions p
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Study Area: Palestine
• Location
• Population
• Available Water Resources and Uses
• Land Use
• Agriculture
• + + +
Population
1997 2002 2006 2008 2010
Palestine 2,783 3,225 3,611 3,825 4,048
West Bank 1,787 2,042 2,262 2,385 2,513
Gaza Strip 995 1,182 1,349 1,440 1,535
Available Water Resources
Hydrologic Contribution to Water Balance
Parameter West Bank Gaza Strip Palestine
Percentage mcm/yr Percentage mcm/yr mcm/yr
Annual Rainfall 100 2248 100 101 2349
Evapotranspiration -68 -1529 -52.5 -53 -1582
Surface Runoff - 3.2 -71 -1.98 -2 -72
Groundwater
Recharge 28.8 648 45.5 46 694
Return Flow (RF) ----- RF 8.9 9 9 + RF
Overall Balance 648 + RF 55 703 + RF
Surface Water: Palestinian share in the Jordan River of 257 mcm/yr
Indicator Year
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Annual Available Water
Quantity (million m3/year) 279.9 .. 295.8 315.2 319.1 335.4 308.7 316 331.1
Annual Pumped Quantity
from Groundwater Wells
(million m3/year)
203.4 .. 196.1 214.7 223.5 241.2 225.7 227.2 244
Annual Discharge of
Springs Water (million
m3/year)
38.1 60.5 52.7 53.6 51.7 44.8 25.2 30.6 26.8
Annual Quantity of Water
Purchased from Israeli
Water Company
(Mekorot) for Domestic
Use (million m3/year)
38.4 43.1 42.6 42.2 43.9 49.4 52.8 53.5 56
Annual Quantity of Water
Supply for Domestic
Sector (million m3/year)
125.2 .. 142.9 153.2 160.2 175.6 185.5 185.2 185.2
Annual Quantity of Water
Supply for Agricultural
Sector (million m3/year)
154.7 -- 152.9 162 158.9 159.8 123.2 130.8 145.9
Percent of Agricultural
water to Total Water Used
(million m3/year)
55.3 -- 51.7 51.4 49.8 47.6 40 41.4 44.1
Land Use
• 25.5% agricultural land,
• 1.6% forests and wooded land,
• 10.0% build-up areas,
• 3.2% Jewish colonies,
• and 62.9% bare land and other uses
Agriculture
• Agricultural land was estimated at 1.854 million dunams
• West Bank(91%) and Gaza Strip (9%).
• 86% are rain fed and 14%is irrigated
Agricultural and Water Management Problems
• Agricultural Management
• Water Management
• Institutional Performance
Agricultural Management • The declining quality and efficiency of agricultural resources use • The attacks on agricultural land and its conversion to non-agricultural purposes • Reliance on import through israel and israeli agents for fulfilling agricultural
production needs (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, irrigation equipment, and other)
• Ineffective marketing services for farmers • Lack of insurance policy for disaster and natural risks • Weak agricultural infrastructure • Helpless or inexistence of incentives • Weak extension and training services • Unsuccessful financial support to farmers • Inadequate agricultural capacities and education system • Low agricultural production and consequently low agricultural profit or economic
feasibility • Absence of a national umbrella for planning and overall supervision on the
agricultural sector • Insubstantial agricultural research, knowledge generation and dissemination, • fragile rain fed agriculture • Weak palestinian public and private investment in the sector
Water Management
• The over-pumping of groundwater
• The increase in un- licensed wells and
• Lack of water storage of surface runoff
And rain water harvesting
• Lack of master-strategic water network and infrastructures
Institutional Performance
• Overlapping and conflicting authority and responsibilities
• Incomplete legal framework
• Weak capacities for agricultural planning including policy setting, monitoring, and implementation
Agricultural and Water Management Prospects
• Human Capacities: • Private Sector Involvement: • International Community Investment and Support: • Political Situation: • Institutional Capacities: • Awareness and Education: • Regional and International Trade:
Uses
Management
Resources
Management
Sustainable
Agricultural Water
Management
Impact
Management
Sustainable Agricultural Water Management Tripod
Resource Management
• Increase irrigable land area
• Increase water availability/allocation to agriculture ( additional fresh water allocation , Storage/harvesting and WW Reuse)
Uses Management
• Rehabilitate/upgrade existing irrigation water conveyance system and schemes
• Improve irrigation management practices
• Arrange and optimize spatial and temporal cropping system
• Increase green house areas
Impacts Management
• Increase public awareness about sector management
• Balance the resource and use to maintain food supply and cultural aspects of local agriculture
• Enhance extension and training to minimize impacts
• Stop any over pumping of aquifers
Proposed Institutional Measures, Activities, or Developmental Pathways
The Issue is not only in creating new schemes and
employing more
Proposed Institutional Measures, Activities, or Developmental Pathways
Enhance existing institutions by conducting proper
training of potential staff and eliminating incapable one
monitoring the quality and quantity of agricultural production
spatial distribution and with power, authority, and funding
a system of incentives for good and innovative farmers and farming
agricultural marketing institutions
farmers investment and credit institutions and banks
comprehensive and friendly accessed agricultural and water data base and newsletter,
Proposed Institutional Measures, Activities, or Developmental Pathways
• Unify water and agricultural policies and strategies on the governmental level
• Involve farmers and/or agricultural associations in sector management
• Integrate efforts between various stakeholders to optimize the process
Concluding Remarks
• Palestinian agricultural sector developmental challenges are becoming numerous and more complex.
• Special attention, more governmental involvement, and non-traditional---dynamic policies and strategies approaches need to be adapted and implemented to ensure sector productivity increase and sustainability.
• A balanced interrelated tripod of resources, uses, and impacts management was proposed and detailed to achieve better, more equilibrated management of Palestinian agriculture
Thank You For
Your Attention