Water has become a challenging resource that many countries worldwide are concerned with. Thus, water is often linked with health, society development, national income and even international geo-politics. Sometimes, water resources are unavailable, but successful management involves developing approaches and projects to assure water supply. However, there are some countries with available water resources, but unsatisfactory management, and thus complain about water supply becoming a national problem. This situation is prevalent in Lebanon, a country characterized by abundant water resources whether on the surface or sub-surface. It is a paradox that there is still imbalance in water supply/demand in Lebanon, and water resources are now under stress due to chaotic use. This has been exacerbated by the oscillating climatic conditions, increased population and improper management. Therefore, people receive less than one-third of their water needs, and most water supplied is of poor quality. The current status shows a descending trend. Undoubtedly, if the water sector in Lebanon continues this way, we should anticipate unfavourable (and may be severe) consequences. Many studies have been conducted on water and related disciplines in Lebanon; however, all of them focus on specific themes and sometimes defined regions. Nevertheless, the occurred changes on the influencers (natural and man-made) have not been considered. This book is the first of its type for Lebanon, and it shows all aspects of water resources with updated measurements and findings obtained by adopting new techniques. It diagnoses in-depth the major elements of water flow/storage mechanism that have never been covered in such a comprehensive manner before. Also, this book introduces and analyses the existing challenges and proposes solutions. It represents a comprehensive investigation of the water resources in Lebanon.

Water has become a challenging resource that many countries worldwide are concerned with. Thus, water is often linked with health, society development, national income and even international geo-politics. Sometimes, water resources are unavailable, but successful management involves developing approaches and projects to assure water supply. However, there are some countries with available water resources, but unsatisfactory management, and thus complain about water supply becoming a national problem. This situation is prevalent in Lebanon, a country characterized by abundant water resources whether on the surface or sub-surface. It is a paradox that there is still imbalance in water supply/demand in Lebanon, and water resources are now under stress due to chaotic use. This has been exacerbated by the oscillating climatic conditions, increased population and improper management. Therefore, people receive less than one-third of their water needs, and most water supplied is of poor quality. The current status shows a descending trend. Undoubtedly, if the water sector in Lebanon continues this way, we should anticipate unfavourable (and may be severe) consequences. Many studies have been conducted on water and related disciplines in Lebanon; however, all of them focus on specific themes and sometimes defined regions. Nevertheless, the occurred changes on the influencers (natural and man-made) have not been considered. This book is the first of its type for Lebanon, and it shows all aspects of water resources with updated measurements and findings obtained by adopting new techniques. It diagnoses in-depth the major elements of water flow/storage mechanism that have never been covered in such a comprehensive manner before. Also, this book introduces and analyses the existing challenges and proposes solutions. It represents a comprehensive investigation of the water resources in Lebanon.

After fifteen years of reconstruction in a relatively peaceful environment spanning the years 1990 to 2004, Lebanon has experienced successive violent political events resulting from complex entangled internal and external struggles. The Syrian crisis and its political, economic and demographic consequences on Lebanon have increased these tensions. This atlas sheds light on these new challenges and adds new data that complete the analyses already published in the Atlas du Liban. Territoires et société (Atlas of Lebanon. Territories and Society) released in 2007 by the same research team. Some of its components are included in this edition. Beyond the international regional crisis and the population movements, it takes into account Lebanon’s socio-economic dimensions, the environmental issues linked to uncontrolled urbanization and to natural risks, as well as conflicts due to local territorial management. This atlas is the result of a collaborative endeavor between French and Lebanese researchers. It uses a geographical approach that puts in the foreground a spatial analysis of social and natural phenomena. Public sources are scarce in Lebanon, especially at the local scale. They are sometimes less reliable and difficult to access. It is particularly the case for the Lebanese census data, conversely data are abundantly available on the refugees population, which is less known than the population of refugees. International data help compare Lebanon to its neighbors. Thematic data produced by some ministries are helpful to provide a detailed view regarding specific domains. Analyses processed on aerial and satellite images have produced essential data on urbanization and environment. Local thematic fieldwork surveys have provided additional data. The book consists of seven chapters. The first one deals with the territorial state-building seen in the light of regional geopolitics, and emphasizes internal violence and the reemergence of militias and armed groups that fight each other and the state army. Lebanon is once again perceived as a territory divided between multiple allegiances. The second chapter is devoted to the analysis of population dynamics, despite the lack of reliable data whose sources are subject to discussion. It includes analyses of internal population flows, the Lebanese diaspora, and the assessment of Syrian refugees’ influx. The third chapter shows the fragility of the Lebanese economic model. Its dependency on foreign investments and on the remittances of the diaspora, as well as the deadlocks of industry and agriculture, which aggravate social imbalances. The fourth chapter is an assessment of urbanization in the country, which has increased by 80% in surface in twenty years at the expense of natural spaces and agriculture. The shore is highly coveted and widely artificialized and damaged. Multiple signs of environmental degradation are examined in chapter five. They seem to announce the global climate change and its local effects. In addition to that, there is a direct link between massive urbanization and many risks, measured and mapped in an increasingly detailed way. Chapter six tackles the dysfunctional public services that exploit natural resources: water and energy supply, both marked by massive shortages, and the management of solid waste hit by a serious crisis. The seventh and last chapter studies the mutations of the local territorial management, which is marked by the retreat of the state, if not its marginalization, and the rise of other actors, notably municipalities, local powers and also civil society organizations.After fifteen years of reconstruction in a relatively peaceful environment spanning the years 1990 to 2004, Lebanon has experienced successive violent political events resulting from complex entangled internal and external struggles. The Syrian crisis and its political, economic...

Book Description:Water resources in the Middle East are barely enough to cope with human demand, and their scarcity is a matter of discussion in many conclaves. However, it must be clarified that Lebanon has a rugged topography that sets it apart from the surrounding regions. Its small area of 10,452 km2 is characterized by a mountainous terrain marked by several valley systems. Two mountain chains (Mount Lebanon to the west and Anti-Lebanon to the east) extend parallel to the Mediterranean Sea, and are separated by the Bekaa Plain, which comprises a relatively wide depression. Hence, Lebanon has many sources of surface water including rivers, springs, snowfalls and lakes; besides, many aquiferous rock formations and karstic conduits exist where groundwater can accumulate via seeping.However, complaints concerning the lack of understanding about the imbalanced water supply/demand in Lebanon are often a matter of debate, and the water budget is also not well-formulated yet. Added to the matter of water shortage and deterioration in quality thereof, challenges for water resources have only exacerbated. Thus, there are parallel paths stemming from both natural and human driving forces leading to increasing water stress. Climate change, pollution, over-exploitation and the mismanagement of trans-boundary water resources are amongst the geo-environmental problems that affect these resources. In particular, shared water is one of the major water problems in Lebanon.To put this issue into perspective, more than 74% of Lebanon's border is shared with neighbouring countries, which makes the surface and groundwater intermingle with neighbouring regions; thus, no volumetric measures are known. Two shared rivers exist between Lebanon and its neighbours: one with Syria in the north, and the other with the Palestinian Territory (PT) in the south. In addition, the three major aquiferous rock formations of Lebanon are interrelated with neighbouring regions.To date, there is no credible study to assess and allocate the shared water resources. Consequently, geo-political conflicts frequently arise due to the obscure nature of the hydrologic conditions. In addition, the absence of treaties and agreements is another reason affecting water sharing, which constitutes the principal cause of water loss. This is totally governed by the unstable political situation in the region.This book aims to highlight the principles of Lebanon's water resources with new numeric measures. It will also reveal the major elements of the striking challenges. Thus, the fundamental hydrologic aspects of shared water resources in Lebanon, including quantitative measures and the spatial extent of these resources will be illustrated.

"Climatic Change and Water Resources in the Middle East and North Africa" is dedicated to high-priority topics related to the impact of climate change on water resources in a water scarce region. The subject is described and discussed in three main chapters and different case studies. The three main chapters are (1) Climatic changes - sources and effects on the water cycle, (2) Impact of climate change on water resources, (3) Water resources and water management. These chapters are split up into further 26 sections. A total of 64 individuals from many countries have made contributions to this book. All topics in this book are complimentary and contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between global climate change, world water cycle and water resources. A valuable and meaningful interdisciplinary mixture of topics is combined in this book which will be of great interest to many scientists.

This book presents a collection of chapters covering research on the Litani River Basin. The Litani River Basin occupies about a quarter of Lebanon's surface area, and it has recently been subject to severe geo-environmental conditions such as water contamination and decreased discharge. This motivated the Lebanese government to take action and start working on the remediation of the river. These actions are also supported by international organizations including the World Bank.

Multidisciplinary treatment of the urgent issues surrounding urban pollution worldwide Written by some of the top experts on the subject in the world, this book presents the diverse, complex and current themes of the urban pollution debate across the built environment, urban development and management continuum. It uniquely combines the science of urban pollution with associated policy that seeks to control it, and includes a comprehensive collection of international case studies showing the status of the problem worldwide. Urban Pollution: Science and Management is a multifaceted collection of chapters that address the contemporary concomitant issues of increasing urban living and associated issues with contamination by offering solutions specifically for the built environment. It covers: the impacts of urban pollution; historical urban pollution; evolution of air quality policy and management in urban areas; ground gases in urban environments; bioaccessibility of trace elements in urban environments; urban wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal; living green roofs; light pollution; river ecology; greywater recycling and reuse; containment of pollution from urban waste disposal sites; bioremediation in urban pollution mitigation; air quality monitoring; urban pollution in China and India; urban planning in sub–Saharan Africa and more. Deals with both the science and the relevant policy and management issues Examines the main sources of urban pollution Covers both first-world and developing world urban pollution issues Integrates the latest scientific research with practical case studies Deals with both legacy and emerging pollutants and their effects The integration of physical and environmental sciences, combined with social, economic and political sciences and the use of case studies makes Urban Pollution: Science and Management an incredibly useful resource for policy experts, scientists, engineers and those interested in the subject.

This book serves the purpose of showcasing some of the works in respect of applied research, field projects, and best practice to foster climate change adaptation across the region. Climate change is having a much greater impact in the Mediterranean than the global average. In the Paris Climate Agreement, the UN member states pledged to stop global warming at well below two degrees, if possible at 1.5 degrees. This mark, which is expected elsewhere only for 2030 to 2050, has already been reached in the region. The situation could worsen in the coming years if the global community does not limit its emissions. The above state of affairs illustrates the need for a better and more holistic understanding of how climate change affects countries in the Mediterranean region on the one hand, but also on the many problems it faces on the other, which prevent adaptation efforts. There is also a perceived need to showcase successful examples of how to duly address and manage the many social, economic, and political problems posed by climate change in the region, in order to replicate and even upscale the successful approaches used. It is against this background that the book "Climate Change in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Region" has been produced. It contains papers prepared by scholars, practitioners, and members of governmental agencies, undertaking research and/or executing climate change projects, and working across the region.

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license. This revised, updated textbook presents a systems approach to the planning, management, and operation of water resources infrastructure in the environment. Previously published in 2005 by UNESCO and Deltares (Delft Hydraulics at the time), this new edition, written again with contributions from Jery R. Stedinger, Jozef P. M. Dijkman, and Monique T. Villars, is aimed equally at students and professionals. It introduces readers to the concept of viewing issues involving water resources as a system of multiple interacting components and scales. It offers guidelines for initiating and carrying out water resource system planning and management projects. It introduces alternative optimization, simulation, and statistical methods useful for project identification, design, siting, operation and evaluation and for studying post-planning issues. The authors cover both basin-wide and urban water issues and present ways of identifying and evaluating alternatives for addressing multiple-purpose and multi-objective water quantity and quality management challenges. Reinforced with cases studies, exercises, and media supplements throughout, the text is ideal for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in water resource planning and management as well as for practicing planners and engineers in the field.

Foreword -- Preface -- Acronyms & units of measurement -- Introduction to the inventory -- Shared water resources in Western Asia -- Key findings -- Overview & methodology: Surface water -- Euphrates River Basin -- Shared tributaries of the Euphrates River -- Tigris River Basin -- Shared tributaries of the Tigris River -- Shatt al Arab, Karkheh and Karun Rivers -- Jordan River Basin -- Orontes River Basin -- Nahr El Kabir Basin -- Qweik River Basin -- Overview & methodology: Groundwater -- Saq-Ram Aquifer System (West) -- Wajid Aquifer System -- Tawila-Mahra/Cretaceous Sands: Wasia-Biyadh-Aruma Aquifer System (South) -- Sakaka-Rutba: Wasia-Biyadh-Aruma Aquifer System (North) -- Rub'al Khali: Umm er Radhuma-Dammam Aquifer System (South) -- Gulf Umm er Radhuma-Dammam Aquifer System (Centre) -- Widyan-Salman: Umm er Radhuma-Dammam Aquifer System (North) -- Wadi Sirhan Basin: Tawil-Quaternary Aquifer System -- Anti-Lebanon -- Western Aquifer Basin -- Coastal Aquifer Basin -- Yarmouk Basin: Basalt Aquifer System (West) -- Azraq-Dhuleil Basin: Basalt Aquifer System (South) -- Taurus-Zagros -- Jezira Tertiary Limestone Aquifer System -- Jezira Basin: Neogene Aquifer System (North-West): Upper and Lower Fars -- Dibdibba Delta Basin Neogene Aquifer System (South-East): Dibdibba-Kuwait Group