Data Collection Questionnaire

MEDA DATABASE ON TRANSBOUNBDARY AQUIFERS Version 2.1.1 3/09/07 (ESCWA-UNESCO-UNECA-UNECE) QUESTIONNAIRE ON TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS IN THE MEDA REGION

Please complete using Word document format.

Please complete a separate questionnaire for each aquifer

Please return by e-mail to: al-mooji@un.org and R.Stephan@unesco.org with copies to: iganouli@civil.auth.gr and a.aureli@unesco.org, by 31st August 2007.

1. NAME OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER, LOCATION & COUNTRIES

Please give the name(s) or other identification property of the shared aquifer, its approximate location (province, department) and say which countries share it.

The Coastal Aquifer, shared between Palestine and Israel

2. AQUIFER CHARACTERISTICS

2. 1 Please look at the four simplified pictures below and indicate which of them most closely characterises your transboundary aquifer. If none, please provide a conceptual sketch of your transboundary aquifer in the blank box below.

Please tick: Example 1 2 3 4 5

Simplified Hydrological Section Across the Gaza Strip, (EU, 1993)

General Characteristics

Aquifer hydrogeological type porous karstic fissured rock

other Predominant lithology........Limestone..........................................................................................……….

Stratigraphic age…… Teritiary -Quaternary……………………………………………….

Areal extent (km²) 365km² inside the West Bank and 535 km²... inside Israel.................

Population resident in this area and main occupation……1.5 million in Gaza Strip, No available data about Israeli side.

Thickness: mean (m)..200........... maximum (m)..250.............

Shared international boundary length (km)…70 Km………………………… Dominant groundwater flow direction: from.. .... Israel....................... to ......Palestine (Gaza Strip) (countries)

Link with surface water systems:

Strong medium weak

2.3 Map

Please provide a clear map of the transboundary aquifer, including aquifer boundaries and geographical coordinates. The map should preferably be supplied as a GIS-file

2.4 Hydrogeological Characteristics and Groundwater Use

Rainfall: average annual and seasonal distribution ………average annual rainfall is ……400 mm, min 200 mm, Max 1000m………………………

Recharge / discharge area

The coastal Aquifer extends along side the Mediterranean Sea for 120 km fom Mountain in the north Israel to Gaza Strip and Sinai in the south (only 40 km long in Gaza).

The Width of aquifer varies between 7 to 20 km.

Because the aquifer is mainly shallow sandstone it is considered an area of recharge/discharge with the following balance in Gaza:

· Recharge from rainfall (wirhen Gaza borders) =45 MCm/yr

· Lateral inflow from Israel=15 Mcm/yr

· Return flow from agriculture,waste water, pipeleakage=30 Mcm/yr

· Well abstractions=150 Mcm/yr

· Deficit=60 Mcm/yr

Level changes (m/yr) – natural, induced by pumping, or other reasons Natural:0.1 m/yr

Included by pumping 1m/yr

Discharge areas: a few meters due to high rainfall events in 91/92, water level increases 8-10 m above …

Total available non- renewable groundwater reserves (Mm³/yr): …N/A…………………

Total available annually renewable groundwater resources (Mm³/yr):50…………………

Total groundwater abstractions (Mm³/yr) (estimated where not measured) …150……………………

Flow in/out across national boundary (Mm³/yr)……15………………………….

Groundwater flow direction and gradient across boundary…Northeast-Southwest

Water uses (total, by sector, principal uses, current - estimated and future -projected)…

Total: 400

Uses	Palestine	Israel
Agriculture	70	No Data
Domestic	80

Principal use:agricultural and demostic

	Palestine	Israel
Current use (Mcm/yr)	150	No Data
Projected use (Mcm/yr)	250

Deficits and other resource concerns (e.g. quality, extremes, environmental degradation, interactions withsurface water bodies / other aquifers)

Deficits and Concerns

1. Over pumping and mismanagement of aquifer by Israelis and Palestinians..

2. Sewage pollution of dumping untreated sewage in wadies over the outcrops of the aquifer.

3. Severe Salinity problems (saltwater intrusion and

4. Heavey agrochemical pollution

3. MONITORING DATA

Please note that stakeholders should comply with the WMO Resolution 25 on international exchange of hydrological and related data. (http://www.wmo.ch/index-en.html). If appropriate insert Excel tables into the Word document in order to provide information and available data on quantity, quality and accessibility, including:

· Observation networks

· Maps, with available scales, GIS and remote sensing imagery

· Type of data and monitoring equipment

· Data archives and their adequacy

· Institutions in charge

· Research centres

3.1 Quantity

· N^o. of monitoring stations

· Frequency of measurements ………………………… See Report

· Water levels

· Additional information

3.2 Quality

· N^o. of monitoring sites

· Frequency of measurements

· Nitrogen compounds

· Salinity and major ions

· Heavy metals

· Pesticides

· Industrial organic compounds

4. IMPORTANCE OF TRANSBOUNDARY GROUNDWATERS Uses and Functions

Does the groundwater in this transboundary aquifer have direct uses and/or other functions?

No		Why not?	Irrelevant groundwater resource
or:			Problems with groundwater (if yes, indicate these in section 5)
Yes	Uses	Shared Aquifer Groundwater as 35 % of total water use in the area Total Shared Groundwater as % of total water use Total Groundwater as % of total water use
…
		Other functions		Support of ecosystems Support of agriculture (directly from shallow water table) Preventing land subsidence Maintaining baseflow and springs Seasonal heatstorage Any other function (please specify)

Groundwater abstraction and use in the aquifer

Indicate in the table the percentage of total groundwater abstraction accounted for by each

use

Type of use	Percentage	If you do not know the exact percentage, than mark one of the following options
		< 25 %	25 – 50 %	50 – 75 %	> 75 %
Drinking water	53			*
Irrigation	47		*
Industry	0
Mining	0
Thermal spa	0
Livestock	negligible
Other (please specify)

Please indicate the year to which these figures apply...Average 80-98).............

5. WHICH PROBLEMS ARE OBSERVED IN TRANSBOUNDARY GROUNDWATERS?

5.1	Problems related to groundwater quantity Israel controls utilisation of the aquifer
a)	Specify if possible the average trend of groundwater level decline (m/year)..0.5-1 m/yr
b)	Indicate in the table the type and scale of problem associated with groundwater abstraction
	from the aquifer

Problem	Increasing scale of problem
	1. Local and moderate	2. Local but severe	3. Widespread but moderate	4. Widespread and severe
Increased pumping lifts or costs	*
Reduction of borehole yields		*
Reduced baseflow and springflow
Degradation of ecosystems			*
Sea water intrusion				*
Salt water upconing/downconing	*			*
Polluted water drawn into aquifer				*
Land subsidence	*
Other (please specify)

5.2 Problems related to groundwater quality

Indicate in the table the type, nature and scale of groundwater quality problems in the aquifer

Problem	Nature of problem		Typical range of concentrations Mg/l	Scale, using classes 1-4 from table above
	Natural origins	From human activities
Salinisation	*		Ø 2000	3-4
Nitrogen species		*	N/A
Pesticides		*	N/A
Heavy metals		*	N/A
Pathogens			N/A
Industrial organic compounds			N/A
Hydrocarbons			N/A
Other (please specify)			N/A

5.3 Evidence for transboundary effects

a) Do you observe any decline of groundwater levels (or piezometric levels) caused or probably

caused by activities in neighbouring countries? Yes

b) Do you observe any groundwater pollution caused or probably caused by activities in neighbouring countries? Yes No

6. TRANSBOUNDARY MANAGEMENT MEASURES

Indicate in the table which measures are presently being implemented or need to be applied

Management Measures	Already used and effective	Used, but Need to be improved	Need to be applied	Currently planned
Transboundary institutions (commissions, agreements, treaties, etc.)			*
Groundwater abstraction management by regulation (licensing, taxation)			*
Groundwater abstraction management by incentives or disincentives (subsidies, credits, energy prices, energy supply, etc.)			*
Increasing efficiency of groundwater use			*
Monitoring of groundwater quantity			*
Monitoring of groundwater quality			*
Public awareness campaigns			*
Protection zones for public supplies			*
Vulnerability mapping for land use planning			*
Good agricultural practices			*
Groundwater integrated into river basin management			*
Wastewater reuse or artificial recharge			*
Treatment of urban wastewater			*
Treatment of industrial effluents			*
Exchange of data between countries			*
Other (please specify)

7. POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE PROPERTIES

Do you know of any cooperation between riparian states on transbounday aquifers? Is there any agreement regarding a transboundary aquifer in your region? NO

8. NAME AND CONTACT DETAILS OF PERSON(S) COMPLETING THIS FORM:

Name……Amjad Aliewi & Jumana Abu Sada………………………………………

Institution……House of Water and Environment (HWE)…………………………………………

Address…41 Khaled Ibn El Walid Street

Al Sharafeh – Al Bireh

Ramallah-Palestine

P.O Box 1796

Tel: +972 0r (+970) 2 240 1776, Fax: +972 0r (+970) 2 240 68 48

E-mail: Amjad.aliewi@hwe.org.ps, jumana.abusada@hwe.org.ps