HYDRO POLITICAL AND TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE WATERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST by ÖZDEN BİLEN

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CountryCountries’ contribution to the water potential (km 3 ) Water allocation according to the 1959 agreement Egypt055.5 Sudan018.5 Ethopia720 Other Upstream Countries 120 Evaporation Losses-10 Total84 Table 1 – Nile Water Allocation Source : Whittington, D., McClelland, E. (1991) SLIDE 2

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AVERAGE ANNUAL FLOWS AND CONTRIBUTION OF RIPARIAN COUNTRIES EUPHRATES %10 SYRIA %90 TURKEY %0 IRAQ + TIGRIS %0 SYRIA %40 TURKEY %60 IRAQ = EUPHRATES+TIGRIS %3.4 SYRIA %60 TURKEY %31.4 IRAQ SLIDE 5

CONFLICTING DATA ON THE TOTAL IRRIGATION PROJECT AREAS FED BY THE EUPHRATES Source : Bilen, Ö. (2000) SLIDE 6

EUPHRATES TIGRIS WATER TRANS. PROJECT 35 BILLION M ha (IRRIGATION AREA) 52.7 BILLION M ha (IRRIGATION AREA) WATER TRANSFER FROM THE TIGRIS TO THE EUPHRATES “Fortunately for Iraq, however, there is little suitable land in these two countries by using the waters of the Tigris. As a result, it seems uınlikely that serious international problems will be generates concerning the use of its waters, and Iraq will be able to make use of them for its own needs. This explains why Iraq is able to divert a significant proportion of the flow of the Tigris through the Tharthar basin to augment the water resources of the Euphrates” (Beaumont, 1978) “Iraq could well make greater use of the discharge of the Tigris. In fact, the Tharthar canal project which at the moment diverts Tigris water into the Tharthar depression, thereby controlling floods, is planned to be extended to the Euphrates, facilitating therefore the transfer of flow from one river to the other.” (Anderson, 1986) SLIDE 7