A Regional Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) application for the Jordan River basin (Briefing 2,2)

Abstract

The Regional WEAP is a basin-wide planning and scenario tool which 1)includes hydrology, supplies, demand and water resources management, 2) is a comprehensive consolidation and harmonization of water data for the entire Jordan River basin, 3) engages stakeholders, scientists and decision makers in a discussion on water management options and policies, and 4) can combine stakeholder-driven assumptions with scientific scenarios to analyze quantitative scenarios. Findings from various Regional WEAP scenario applications are 1) political and physical constraints, namely limited water exchange between countries and poor water infrastructure in rural areas and the West Bank, inhibit the impact of large-scale solutions on regional water scarcity when compared to decentralized approaches, and 2) the impact of climate change on available water resources is high (it could double unmet water demands), however the impact of socio-economic developments, mainly driven by population growth and per capita water demands, have a far greater potential to aggravate water scarcity in the region.