Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia: Selected Aquifer Systems in the Arabian Peninsula for the Application of Remote Sensing Techniques

Abstract

AbstractA recent inventory has shown the existence of several large aquifers in the Western Asia region extending across political borders. As regional groundwater divides were not available in many cases, groundwater flow information was used to approximate aquifer system boundaries. These boundaries were based on the analysis and interpretation of geological information available from regional and national maps as well as literature publications. This information was often outdated, obsolete, contradictory or of different nature and scale. Recent data on the more extensive and productive aquifer systems were classified in national databases and unpublished reports to which the study team did not have access. Hence the description and findings contained in the Inventory were meant to provide a starting point towards a more comprehensive analysis for an absolute delineation of the aquifer boundaries. This chapter advocates the application of remote sensing techniques, in combination with the GIS files already available from the Inventory, for the achieving this objective. Two of the largest aquifer systems for which joint management have been already initiated by riparian countries are selected for this purpose. Available information on these aquifer systems are described in the chapter, in addition to an overview of the Inventory.KeywordsAquifer systemsGroundwater dividesRiparian countriesJoint management