Water Resources in the West Bank
Palestine is one of the Middle Eastern countries that suffer from poor water accessibility. The major water resources available existing in the West Bank are the Jordan River and the West Bank Aquifer System. Palestinians are not allowed to use more than 15% of their groundwater and are denied access to the Jordan River
Surface Water Resources
The only permanent river, which can be identified as surface water in the West Bank is the Jordan river. It is 252 km long from its source near Banias to the Dead Sea passing through lake Tiberias, with a water shed area of about 17,665 km2. It is an international basin where Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel are all riparians of this basin. 80% of this basin located in Jordan, Israel and Palestine. The natural flow of the river (in the absence of extraction) is estimated at roughly 1,476 MCM at the entrance to the Dead Sea (Map (5)).
The Jordan River water represents an important component in the water budget of the basin riparian countries. The Jordan River’s water satisfies around 50% of Israel’s and Jordan’s demand. Lebanon and Syria are minor users, gaining 5% of their combined demands via the Jordan River. Israel is forbidding the Palestinians their share in the river. Under the Johnston Plan, the proposed West Ghour Canal would have supplied 150 MCM from the River to the West Bank, but plans were never carried out. Palestinians have no physical access to the river due to the military closure, which is imposed on the riverbank since 1967. In the peace process negotiations, Palestinians have to negotiate their share of the Jordan’s water since 1967.
Runoff in the West Bank is estimated at 64 MCM/yr. (Al-Khatib, 1989, Abu Mayleh, 1991). This water is used by many Palestinians to meet their domestic needs especially in areas that have no distribution networks. Some farmers use small scale open ponds for irrigation purposes. Streams flowing from the central mountains toward the Jordan Valley contribute to the recharge of shallow aquifers, such as Wadi El- Qilt, Auja and Wadi El-Far'a. The flood flows in the West Bank are the Eastern and north-eastern flood wadis, with an average total annual flow rate of about 18.57 MCM/yr. and the western flood wadis with an average total annual flow rate of about 17.91 MCM/yr.
Groundwater Aquifer Systems
The main groundwater aquifer systems in the West Bank are described as follows Map (5).
A) Lower Cretaceous Aquifer Complex (Neocomian-Albian) which is represented in the West Bank by the Ramali Formation Aquifer (Kurnub Sandstone Aquifer) which is underlain by Wadi Maleh Formation and is exposed in Wadi Maleh area at Ras Er Ramali, Wadi Far'a and Luhuf Jadir area. It is by the Ajlun Series of the Cenomanian and Turonian ages (Late Upper Cretaceous). Nearly two-thirds of the West Bank area is covered by rocks of this series. The series consists of massive limestone that reaches 1,000 meters in thickness.
B) Upper Cretaceous Aquifer Complex, which constitutes the major aquifer in the region especially the upper part of the Ajlun series. This part of Ajlun series is widely exposed in Hebron, it is overlain in the north by a unit of chalky limestone and dolomite. This aquifer is divided into two systems, the first is the lower Cenomanian Aquifer System which is composed of the following geologic formations: Lower Beit Kahil Formation (Early Lower Cenomanian), Upper Beit Kahil Formation (Late Lower Cenomanian) and Yatta Formation (Lower Middle Cenomanian). The second aquifer system is the Upper Cenomanian - Turonian Aquifer System which is composed of the Hebron Formation (Upper Middle Cenomanian Aquifer), Bethlehem Formation (Upper Cenomanian Aquifer) and Jerusalem Formation (Upper Cenomanian- Turonian Aquifer).
C) Tertiary Aquifer System In the West Bank, the Tertiary Aquifer System is represented by two lithological units: the Jenin Subseries and the Beida Formation.This formation is of Senonian geologic age and known as Abu Dies formation. It constitutes the two aquifers: Jenin Subseries (Eocene Aquifer) and Beida Formation (Neogene Aquifer)
D) Quaternary Aquifer System
It is composed of the Lisan Formation, alluvial and gravel fans and the Nari Blanket (Lisan Formation (Pleistocene Aquifer) and Alluvial and Gravel Fans (Holocene)).
Groundwater Basins
Rainwater infiltrates to the water table forming the West Bank Aquifer System which is composed of dolomite and limestone rocks of the Lower Cenomanian and Turonian ages. The West Bank Aquifer System extends below the area of the West Bank. It is mostly recharged by rainfall from the mountains of the West Bank. The West Bank Aquifer System is divided into three main groundwater basins, each of which is subdivided into sub-basins. These basins are:
1. Western Groundwater Basin
It consists of two sub-basins, Nahr El-Auja El-Tamaseeh and Hebron Beer Shaba that drain the Lower and Upper Cenomanian aquifers with a total pumpage and spring discharge ranging from 380-400 MCM/yr. The storage capacity of this basin is about 360 MCM/yr.. Eighty percent of the recharge area of this basin is located within the West Bank while 80% of the storage area is located within the Israeli borders. The groundwater movement in this basin is westwards towards the coastal plain in the west. As part of this aquifer extends under Israel, it is considered as a shared basin between Israel and Palestinians. There are 35 springs within this basin with each having an average discharge of greater than 0.1 litre/sec in the West Bank.
2. Northeastern Groundwater Basin
This consists of the Nablus-Jenin basin, which drains the Eocene aquifer and the overlying Samarian basin, which drains the Eocene and Neogene aquifers. Its storage capacity is approximately 140 MCM/yr. Palestinians consume about 18% of its annual safe yield for both irrigation and domestic purposes from wells and springs in the Jenin district and East Nablus (Wadi El Far'a, Wadi El-Badan). The groundwater in this basin flows north and northeast towards Bisan natural outlets (springs) in Israel.
3. Eastern Groundwater Basin
This constitutes the eastern flank of the West Bank Aquifer. Its groundwater generally flows towards the east (Jordan Valley). The available potential resource of this basin is estimated by Tahal between 100 and 150 MCM/yr (Tahal, 1990; IPCRI, 1993). The Eastern Groundwater Basin is not exploited because of poor water quality. It needs extensive hydrogeological study to identify its potential resources, safe yield, hydrogeological characteristics, groundwater quality, and the flow pattern of each of the sub-basins. This basin supports over 79 large flowing springs of an average discharge greater than 0.1 liter/sec. These springs constitute around 90% of the total annual spring discharge in the West Bank.
In general, the total annual capacity of the ground aquifers is estimated at 600-650 MCM. The water in these aquifers flows in two main directions, east and west. The groundwater basins are recharged directly from rainfall on the outcropping geologic formations in the West Bank mountains (forming the phreatic portion), while the major storage areas are in confined portions.
There are 527 springs in the West Bank, of which 114 have a minimum discharge rate of 0.1 litre/sec. Most of these springs are located either east or west of the water divide and discharge water with the slopes towards east or west. There are 79 springs located east of the water divide, flowing towards the Jordan Valley and 35 springs which flow to the west of the water divide. Sixteen of the springs are used for domestic purposes while the rest are for agricultural use. The total annual discharge of the major springs ranges from 24 MCM/yr. in the 1978/79 hydrologic year, to 116 MCM/yr. in the 1991/92 hydrologic year. This data gives an average of 52 MCM/yr.
These springs can be classified according to their surface catchment areas as first the Eastern Basin Spring Systems which consists of Jerusalem Desert Spring System (E’in Gedi, E’in Fashkha, Um Eddaraj, Aytan, Artas, Sa’ir, E’in Fara, E’in Fawwar, E’in El-Qilt, E’in Es-Sultan and Far'a Springs). Second is the Western Basin Spring Systems which has 35 springs, of which 15 springs are used for domestic purposes such as Jerusalem spring system, Auja-Tamaseeh Spring and Nablus Spring System.