Lower Jordan River Basin Research Articles

Geomorphological response of the Lower Jordan River basin to active tectonics of the Dead Sea Transform

The Lower Jordan River (LJR) basin has been shaped on an active tectonic segment of the Dead Sea Transform (DST), the Jordan Valley Fault (JVF), which remains relatively unexplored due to its rough terrain conditions, hyper-arid climate, and location along a political border where minefields are common. The ability to detect the morphology of the valley surface by remote sensing methods provides an opportunity to follow the complex tectonic structure of the LJR basin, and the spatial and temporal geomorphic processes that have shaped the basin since its exposure in the early Holocene after the desiccation of Lake Lisan (~14.5 ky BP). In this study, we use GIS analyses and image processing to explore the relation between the geomorphology of the LJR basin and the active tectonics of the JVF. The morphometric fluvial parameters of the basin are interpreted in relation to mapped faults, geophysical gravity interpolation, and seismic data. We introduce morphometric-gravity relations that show an increasing trend of the morphometric parameters' standard deviation (STD) as a function of the gravity anomaly increase, which are consistent with stream power formulation studies and seismic measurements. Our results show that the active tectonics of the JVF is concentrated towards the basin's center and the Dead Sea Fault location, and that at the borders of the gravity highs, sinuosity, slope and width changes, together with recent seismic activity, all suggest on tectonic uplifting and active faulting in those areas.

Water scarcity, data scarcity and the Budyko curve—An application in the Lower Jordan River Basin

Study regionLower Jordan River Basin, Eastern Mediterranean Study focusWater scarcity and data scarcity are two of the main challenges for water management in the study region, therefore, all possible information should be extracted from existing data. In this context, the Budyko framework offers possibilities not yet sufficiently explored for evaluating the water-energy balance and estimating water availabilities. In this study, we applied a parametric Budyko type equation to the Lower Jordan River basin and compared data from global products, output of the hydrological model TRAIN-ZIN as well as values from literature. The curve shape parameters of the Budyko type curve fitted on different temporal and spatial scales were used to estimate renewable water resources with publicly available data for three subbasins. New hydrological insights for the regionThe adjusted Budyko curves illustrate the influence of non-climatic factors such as vegetation or soil storage on the water-energy balance and a related relatively low efficiency of evapotranspiration, despite a high evaporative demand. Renewable water resources were estimated as 25 to 30% of precipitation in average in most cases and were more strongly affected by inter-annual variabilities than by the variance between the different derived Budyko curves.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Reservoirs in the Lower Jordan Watershed.

We have analyzed monthly hydrological, meteorological and water quality data from three irrigation and drinking water reservoirs in the lower Jordan River basin and estimated the atmospheric emission rates of CO2. The data were collected between 2006 and 2013 and show that the reservoirs, which differ in size and age, were net sources of CO2. The estimated surface fluxes were comparable in magnitude to those reported for hydroelectric reservoirs in the tropical and sub-tropical zones. Highest emission rates were observed for a newly established reservoir, which was initially filled during the sampling period. In the two older reservoirs, CO2 partial pressures and fluxes were significantly decreasing during the observation period, which could be related to simultaneously occurring temporal trends in water residence time and chemical composition of the water. The results indicate a strong influence of water and reservoir management (e.g. water consumption) on CO2 emission rates, which is affected by the increasing anthropogenic pressure on the limited water resources in the study area. The low wind speed and relatively high pH favored chemical enhancement of the CO2 gas exchange at the reservoir surfaces, which caused on average a four-fold enhancement of the fluxes. A sensitivity analysis indicates that the uncertainty of the estimated fluxes is, besides pH, mainly affected by the poorly resolved wind speed and resulting uncertainty of the chemical enhancement factor.

Potentials and limits of urban rainwater harvesting in the Middle East

Abstract. In the Middle East, water is scarce and population growth causes a rapid rise of urban centers. Since many towns of the Palestinian Authority (PA) suffer from water shortage, the use of rainwater harvesting (RWH) as an alternative to conventional water supply has gained increasing interest among water resources planners. This study quantifies actual volumes of urban RWH to be expected from highly variable Mediterranean rainfall. A one-parameter model uses measured potential evaporation and high resolution rainfall data as input to calculate RWH volumes from rooftops inside Ramallah, a traditional Arab town. While during average seasons a 87% runoff harvest (480 from 550 mm of rainfall) can be expected, this value decreases to about 75% (190 from 250 mm of rainfall) during drought seasons. A survey comprising more than 500 questionnaires suggests that approximately 40% of the houses are equipped with RWH systems from which one third are out of use. Although water quality is perceived to be favourable, only 3% of the active RWH systems are actually used for drinking and only 18% for domestic purposes. All active RWH systems investigated may harvest approximately 16 × 103 m3 of rooftop runoff during an average season and 6 × 103 m3 during droughts. When these numbers are extrapolated to all houses in Ramallah, theoretical maximum potentials increase to approximately 298 × 103 m3 during average seasons and 118 × 103 m3 during droughts. A part of this potential can easily be exhausted by rehabilitation of installed RWH systems. The use of RWH for emergency water supply should be advocated, although care is needed because of hygienic risks. Regional estimates for the entire Lower Jordan River Basin yielded RWH potentials of 20 × 106 m3 during the average season 2002/2003 but only 3 × 106 m3 during the drought season 1998/1999. Thus, urban RWH is a relatively small contribution to overcome water scarcity in the region and decreases significantly during droughts. Yet it is a sustainable water resource, which is available on spot for everybody. Due to population growth and ongoing urbanization it will be more important in future.

New Insights Into The Natural Variability of Water Resources in The Lower Jordan River Basin

Water availability is naturally low in the Lower Jordan River Basin (LJRB) extending from Lake Tiberias to the Dead Sea, whereas water demand is high. Still, no basin-wide overview of naturally available surface water resources exists up to now. The aim of this study is to estimate these water resources through application of the TRAIN-ZIN model. This hydrological model combines physically-based and conceptual approaches to incorporate dominant processes of (semi-)arid areas in adequate temporal and spatial scale. An adequate space-time resolution is achieved by using rainfall radar data as model input. Three rainfall seasons are simulated: a drought, an average season and a wet extreme. Simulation results emphasize the non-linear behaviour of (semi-)arid systems and resulting impacts on the spatial and temporal variability of water resources. Basin averages of seasonal water balance components ranged between 65 and 489 mm (rainfall), 53 and 270 mm (evapotranspiration), 7 and 87 mm (overland flow), 4 and 129 mm (percolation). However, all values comprise enormous spatial variability. It is concluded that space-time variability must be considered for water resources assessment in the LJRB in order to make accurate predictions of future water availability.

Dealing with Closed Basins: The Case of the Lower Jordan River Basin

During the past 50 years, the Lower Jordan River basin experienced a rapid and comprehensive process of development of its rare water resources. This led to its progressive closure; almost no water is left that can be mobilized and used while demand, notably in urban areas, keeps increasing. Despite the need to consider demand management options to alleviate the Jordanian water crisis, the potential of these options appears limited in the mid-term; the growing demand of the population and the sustaining of agriculture are unlikely to be met without supply augmentation measures which will reopen the basin.

Groundwater Depletion in the Jordan Highlands: Can Pricing Policies Regulate Irrigation Water Use?

Jordan is one of the countries with the scarcest water resources in the world. The aquifers of the Lower Jordan River Basin, a region of prime importance for the country, are exploited well beyond their sustainable rate. In 1997, Jordan’s officials designed a new water strategy, with emphasis on demand-management instruments. Water pricing policies, and notably the bylaw no. 85 of 2002, were deemed to assist in controlling agricultural groundwater abstraction with the ambitious task of taking the abstraction rate close to the annual recharge. While much hope has been placed in such strategies, this paper argues that substantial increases in volumetric charges would not result in major water savings but would further decrease the income from low-value or extensive crops. A shift towards high-value crops would raise water productivity but would also entail a transfer of wealth to the government and to wealthier entrepreneurs. It is therefore essential that negative incentives be accompanied by positive measures offering attractive alternatives (market opportunities, subsidies for modernization, technical advice, etc.) and exit options with compensation. Prices are unlikely to enable regulation of groundwater abstraction and significant reduction will only be achieved through policies that reduce the number of wells in use, such as buying out of wells.