Coordinator: Robin Twite – IPCRIProf. Marwan Haddad: Al-Najah university

Dr. Nir Becker: University of Haifa and Tel-Hai College

The regional context

Israel and PA

Israel and the PA

Alexander – Zeimer system

River system – Israel and PA

Area of study

Wadi Zeimar / River Alexander is flowing from Palestine to Israel and we need to enable a long term water quality and quantity management arrangement for the benefit of both people or sides

Last map..

Background

• The Alexander river/Wadi Zomer runs for about 44 Km. 32 of them in Israel and 12 in the Palestinian Authority (PA). One of the longest rivers crosses the PA and Israel.

• Average annual rainfall in the basin: 640 mcm.• Only 5 mcm in the outlet to the Mediterranean

due to human activities.• Water quality: Industrial and domestic effluents

have been discharged over the last 40 years. In both sides. Mainly untreated waste and fertilizer.

non-domestic water pollution sources

• Industrial park effluents

• Stone cutting factories

• Sesame mills

• Slaughter house wastes

• Leather factory waste

• Paint factory waste

• Leachate from solid waste dumps

Clean and polluted

Clean Polluted

Consequences

• While some 300,000 people live within seven kilometers of the river, only few can use the attractions that the system offers.

• A 1973 survey of river vegetation and of the impact of pollution on the distribution and composition of species, revealed that out of 81 different species of vegetation which once flourished along the river, 27 have disappeared.

Restoration plan

• 1995 – A management master plan was created (for the Israeli section).

• The flow of waste from a number of villages was stopped.

• Factories and dairy farms in the area also ceased dumping untreated waste.

• The riverbanks were restored in a number of areas and the experimental section has become a popular attraction for day-trippers and picnickers.

Potential projects

• The establishment of a purification plant on the “green line” and construction of a reservoir.

• Cooperation that prevents the pollution of Alexander river/Wadi Zeimer river and enables fresh water to flow in the riverbed.

• A recreation area with three small dams that regulate the height of water flowing into the streams, developed riverbanks, planting and ponds for wildlife.

• A scenic trail that is easily accessible for pedestrians and cyclists.

Some examples of restored parts of the river

Basics in river restoration

Open spaces and increase of awareness

Society

Ecological corridors and nature restoration

Ecology

Basin wide system approach, restore water quality and ration use

Hydrology

Managing water resources through incentives, monitoring and

enforcement

Law and organization

The river as a public good. Establishing values to the different

components.

Economics

Human activities as a function of water quality

• Swimable - Excellent water conditions (Bio-Chemistry conditions.

• Fishable – Derived water quality. Free from organic waste and metals.

• Boatable – Water quality approved for random contact.

• Water park – Same as the last one.

מטרות המחקר

• Identify water quality characteristics and water demands along the river.

• Identify technological options to achieve better water quality.

• Define conflict points along the river: problems in achieving sustainability (income inequality along the river, a unidirectional externality problem, cost recovery mechanism for a proposed wastewater reuse plant etc.). 

Research Tasks - I

מטרות המחקר

• Valuation of the benefits of using the water along the river and compare them to alternative water quality levels and their costs (derived before). 

• Find the optimal water use both in terms of flow and quality.

• Provision of adequate management structures involving both Israelis and Palestinians

Research Tasks - II

מטרות המחקר

• Creating a criterion - alternative matrix in which we will have to rank in different techniques.  Some of which will include stakeholders participation. This will include considerations of distributional effects, administrative and enforcement efficiency, and overall socio-political feasibility.

Research Tasks - III

מטרות המחקר

• Communication of the results to the actors and wide stake holders network of water users.

Research Tasks - IV

מטרות המחקר

• Institutional and management options: This will include several management options in which we rank them by the different achievements of criterions who are pre-specified.

Research Tasks - V

END