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Regional Conference on Advancing Non Conventional Water Resources Management in the Mediterranean, 14-15 September 2011, Athens, Greece
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Manzoor Qadir
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)
Regional Conference on Advancing Non-conventional Water Resources Management in the
Mediterranean, 14-15 September, Athens, Greece
Trade-offs of Wastewater Reuse in the Southern
and Eastern Mediterranean
Key issues and challenges in SEM
� Several countries in the Southern
and Eastern Mediterranean
(SEM) have yet to reach full-
capacity wastewater treatment
� Policies and regulatory measures
that encourage wastewater
treatment and reuse of treated
wastewater are lacking
� Wastewater is available to the
farmers in untreated or
inadequately treated forms
Farmers Perspectives in SEM
� Farmers irrigate with treated,
untreated or inadequately
treated wastewater because of
� Freshwater scarcity
� Year-round availability of
wastewater
� Greater cropping intensity
� Savings on fertilizer applications
� Low pumping cost if alternate
source is deep groundwater
Tradeoffs of Untreated Wastewater Reuse
� Economic incentives and
other benefits for the
farmers
� Health Implications and
medical treatment costs
� Natural resource and
environmental degradation
� Climate change – untreated
wastewater irrigation nexus
Economic Benefits
Health Implications and Treatment Costs
� Target Group: Children within 8-12 years
� Wastewater versus groundwater irrigated area
� Waterborne and non-waterborne diseases
Non-waterborne Diseases
Waterborne Diseases
Medical Treatment Costs
Natural Resource and Environmental Degradation
Salinity and Sodicity Interaction
Nitrogen in Groundwater
Heavy Metals in Groundwater
Climate Change – Wastewater Irrigation Nexus
High-intensity rainfall events leading to surface runoff and
transport of salts and contaminants from soils irrigated with
untreated or inadequately treated wastewater to nearby good
soils irrigated with freshwater or rain-fed
Salinity Build-up in Adjacent Area
Conclusions
� Urban wastewater in water scarce SEM countries is a valuable resource that needs:
� Implementation of adequate wastewater treatment and its regulated reuse
� Monitoring systems and implementation of standards and guidelines
� Skilled human resources and supportive institutions
� Pertinent and flexible policy frameworks
� Regulated reuse of treated wastewater in SEM countries offers great promise for environment and health protection as well as livelihoods resilience