Water in the Middle East and in North Africa

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XVII

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2. Water Resources

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Natural Scarcity of Water Resources in the Semiarid and Arid Middle East and its Economical Implications

      • Heinz Hötzl

      Pages 3-13

   3. Exploitation of Fossil Aquifers and Future Water Supplies in the Middle East

      • Elias Salameh

      Pages 15-20

   4. Hydrogeological Investigations in the North-Eastern Dead Sea Area, Suweimeh, Jordan

      • W. Ali, J. Glaser, M. Thiel, H. Hötzl, H. Werz

      Pages 21-30

   5. The Jordan River: Natural Flow and Current Consumption by the Riparian Countries

      • Ghassan Abu Ju’ub, Kurt Schetelig

      Pages 31-39

   6. Hydrology and Management of Lake Kinneret Aimed at Water Quality Protection

      • Moshe Gophen

      Pages 41-54

   7. The Water Crisis in the E. Mediterranean — and Relation to Global Warming?

      • Pinhas Alpert

      Pages 55-61

   8. Surface Water in Jenin Governorate-Palestine

      • Ghassan Abu Ju’ub, Kurt Schetelig

      Pages 63-73

   9. Herodion-Beit Fajjar Well Field of High Quality and Resource-Productivity Groundwater Endangered by Severe Over-Pumpage

      • Z. Qannam, B. Merkel, T. Lange

      Pages 75-85

   10. Water Resources, Protection and Management in Palestine

       • Abu Safieh Yousef

       Pages 87-99

   11. The Role of Transient Flow and Drainage on Regional Groundwater Flow Pattern in Semi-Arid and Arid Climates

       • Klaus-Peter Seiler

       Pages 101-110

   12. Why no Middle East Water Wars: Global Solutions to Local Deficits?

       • Tony Allan

       Pages 111-125

3. Water Protection

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 127-127

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   2. Management, Protection and Sustainable Use of Groundwater — Results of Long-Term Technical Cooperation in the Middle East

      • K. Schelkes, M. Hobler, G. Schmidt, V. Steinbach

      Pages 129-143

   3. Groundwater Vulnerability Mapping in the Arab Region

      • A. Margane, M. Hobler, A. Droubi, R. Rajab, A. Subah, A. R. Khater

      Pages 145-155

   4. Intermittent Water Supply and Domestic Water Quality in the Middle East

      • Fuad Hashwa, Sima Tokajian

      Pages 157-166

   5. Sewage Water Treatments and Reuse in Israel

      • M. Ben-Hur

      Pages 167-180

   6. Integrated Wastewater Concepts for Olive Mills in the West Bank, Palestine

      • Silke Drescher

      Pages 181-190

   7. Distribution Pattern of Some Inorganic Pollutants in Groundwater and Soil of a Sewage Farm at NE-Cairo/Egypt

      • M. Yosry, Abo el Abas

      Pages 191-203

Freshwater is the most precious and valuable natural resource essential for all kind of life on the land surface. Especially man depend on the availability and quality of the water, it is vital for the socio-economic growth of societies and nations as well as for the sustainability of the environment. Freshwater resources are not distrib­ uted in an equal way over the continents. Regions with surplus facing areas with shortage or even lack of water. From their nature arid and semi-arid areas are char­ acterized by scarcity of water with all the affiliated unfavourable attributes. In the Middle East this lack of sufficient water coupled with the high growth rates of pop­ ulation constitutes serious water problems which has become e real political issue. The German-Arabic Society for Environmental Studies, Frankfurt, in co-opera­ tion with the Centre for Environmental Studies at the University Frankfurt has raised up this problems for a scientific discussion. With the Symposium on "Water of the Middle East and North Africa: Resources, Protection and Management" in Frankfurt on November 25 and 26, 2002 a platform was created, which enabled participants - scientists and politicians - from twelve countries to discuss the water problems facing the region. It was the intension of the organisers to deepen the knowledge about the hydrologic regimes, to increase our understanding of the complex integrated processes and to draw the necessary conclusions with regard to an integrated sustainable water management.

• Desertification
• Groundwater
• North Africa
• Water protection
• Water resources management
• Water supply
• environment
• hydrology
• organization
• sustainability
• wastewater
• water
• water management
• water resources
• water treatment
• hydrogeology
• water quality and water pollution

From the reviews:

"This book is one of the few so far dealing with the very ‘hot’ topic of water resources in one of the most densely populated drought-prone areas of the world - already a source of tension and political conflict. … the technical quality of the book is fine and authors and editors have been attentive to the layout of graphics and tables, making these easy to read. … It is to the merit of the editors to have provided the community with this overview … ." (Environmental Geology, Vol. 46 (8), 2004)

"The Middle East has water problems caused by the scarcity of water coupled with the high growth rates of population. … This book presents a comprehensive overview of the current situation in the Middle East and North Africa. The water problem is described and discussed in four main chapters and different case studies, contributed by 39 scientists. … the book addresses experts as well as the interested public." (Tom Van Nieuwerburgh, International Journal of Environment and Pollution, Vol. 28 (1-2), 2006)

• Institute of Mineralogy, Department of Environmental Analytics, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany

  Fathi Zereini

• Center for Environmental Research (ZUF), University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany

  Wolfgang Jaeschke

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