VISIT OF ICWC DELEGATION TO ISRAEL
29 October - 6 November 2007
At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, the delegation of ICWC consisting of A.D. Ryabtsev, L.N. Dmitriyev (Kazakhstan), B.T. Koshmatov (Kyrgyzstan), A. Yazmuratov (Turkmenistan), N. Ernazarov (Uzbekistan), Y.Kh. Khudaybergenov (BWO Amudarya), V.A. Dukhovny, P.D. Umarov (SIC ICWC) took part in the activities of the International Exhibition WATECH-2007 and were familiarized with the experience of water resources management and water use in Israel.
The delegation was met at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, by the Director of the National Water Authority, Head of “Mekorot” Water Company, and visited a number of waterworks facilities in the country. Prominent water specialists of the country made speeches before the delegation members and exchanged views with them.
The main conclusions that can be made based on the results of the trip:
1. Israel can be rightfully considered as a pioneer practice ground for water resources use and management on a national scale.
2. According to its water resources availability, Israel takes one of the lowest places: annually 7 million people in the country consume 1.9 billion m3 of water or 270 m3 per capita a year. It is reached through integrated involvement of all kinds of water as resources, including:
- surface water - 450 million m3;
- groundwater - 880 million m3;
- treated wastewater - 470 million m3;
- desalinated water - 100 million m3.
The Government intensively works on the development of a long-term strategy for water supply, as water is a really strategic resource.
3. The industrial and population growth continually reduces the portion of water used by agriculture. At present (and accepted for future), the water use for agriculture amounts to no more than 50%, less than a half of this water is clean; potential desalinated and undertreated wastewater constitute the main source. The country practically has no waste (collector-drainage) water in the agriculture, and almost no losses in all the sectors: the norm of losses is only 4%.
4. Water conservation is ranked as one of the main orientations of the national policy. Water conservation is stimulated by using different means:
- rigid limitation and licensing of all water uses, provided that the limit can be reduced depending on yearly water availability prediction;
- a favorable system for water pricing: price grows for clean water and reduces for return water;
- a well-established system for water accounting at all levels of water use hierarchy;
- education of all water users and especially young generation.
It is necessary to note that the creation and automation of a unified system of water conduits for all water users practically eliminate a possibility of losses in quantities exceeding fixed limit.
As a result of such an attitude to water conservation, over the last 20 years water productivity has raised twice as much.
Irrigated agriculture covers 190,000 ha of the total area of cultivated lands amounting to 350,000 ha. Wheat (31%), sunflower (23%), orchards (26%) and vegetables (16%) are dominant among cropped areas. Cotton accounts for only 4% with crop yields of 5.5 - 6 tons per hectare. The crop yields of grain crops amount to 5.5 - 6 t/ha as well. The crop yields of vegetables amount to: 70-90 t/ha for tomatoes and cabbage; 60-70 t/ha for potatoes and onion. The crop yields of orchard crops amount to: 10-15 t/ha for apricots, grapes and dates; 15-20 t/ha for apples, pears, plums, peach and mango; 40-50 t/ha for citrus and bananas.
Mean income per agricultural worker is $1500 a month.
5. At present, the reconstruction of water sector management is going on in the country. In place of the Water Commission, which functioned under the auspices of the Ministry of Infrastructure, a National Water Authority has been established, which functions under the guidance of Board of Directors - 8 members headed by Managing Director, and includes Deputy Directors General of the Ministries of Agriculture, Infrastructure, Environment, the Interior, Transport and Industry and two representatives from the public. The Commission is responsible for hydrological forecasts and water accounting (hydrological service), planning of needs, determination of water use limits, reconstruction and upgrading of infrastructure, implementation of automation, fixing of tariffs and collection of charges for water, relationships on transboundary waters and prospective investment. The Water Authority does not interfere in the operation of water production companies such as Mekorot (water supplier), wastewater treatment plants, and water production plants and so on. A special emphasis is put on the development of further water policies, preparation of a set of measures for implementation of them through the Government, control over their implementation.
6. The system of payment and tariffs takes a special place in the national water policy. The cost of water in the water supply system (Mekorot) is $0.4 per m3. The municipalities and industry receive water from it at this price. Municipality sells water at a progressively increasing tariff:
- first 8 m3 of water a month - $0.6 per m3;
- next 7 m3 of water a month - $0.88 per m3;
- over – $1.2 per m3;
The industry pays:
- $0.4 per m3 for clean water;
- $0.32 per m3 for undertreated water;
- nothing for brackish water.
The agriculture is subsidized. First 50% of the licensed limit on clean water is paid at $0.19 per m3; next 50-80% - $0.23 per m3; over – $0.3 per m3;
Undertreated wastewater: first 50% of the limit – $0.13 per m3; next – $0.1 per m3.
Moreover, the total income on water is more than US$4 billion, and the budget of the Water Authority is US$1.5 billion a year.
7. By 2020, three countries (Israel, Palestine, Jordan) with shared water resources will have a 24-million population. To ensure at least 200 m3 per capita per year, the region should have 5 billion m3 of water. To this end, in addition to 2.65 billion m3 of natural water resources and 1.1 billion m3 of return water, water production by using desalination or other methods should reach 1.35 cubic kilometers or 26%. At present, one of the largest desalination plants in the world with an annual capacity of 108 million m3 has been put into operation in Ashkelon, a desalination plant with an annual capacity of 100 million m3 is being constructed in Haifa, and a 200-million m3 plant in Shafdan and a 100-million m3 plant in Ashdod are projected. However, according to the opinion of specialists, the problem of complete water use in the region can be solved through the construction of a canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, with hydro power stations on it, which would generate electric energy available for desalination of 850 million m3 of water a year. This US$5 billion project is now under the review of the World Bank.
The suggestions and recommendations made based on the results of the trip are as follow:
1. An agreement was reached with the organizers of WATEC-2007 exhibition to hold similar event with international scientific-practical conference in October –November 2008 in Almaty.
2. Based on the results of the negotiation with the leadership of MASHAV and CINADCO, it was suggested to organize joint work on training programs for water specialists and establishment of extension services for farmers. At the same time, it was suggested to organize a demonstration plot for advanced Israeli technologies for drip irrigation, greenhouses and fisheries at the ICWC Training Center in Tashkent on a competitive bidding basis.
3. Based on the results of the negotiation with the “Tahal” Consulting Engineers Ltd. and representatives from the Institute for Research of Deserts and a number of other institutions, it was suggested to organize a scientific-technical cooperation in the field of treatment and use of collector-drainage water, selection of modified salt-tolerant crops irrigated with saline water, and launch joint activities for development and afforestation of sandy grounds on the dried bed of the Aral Sea.
4. Based on the results of the negotiation with the “Motorola” Company’s representative office, it was decided to start studying opportunities for involving Israeli specialists in work on implementation of projects for automation of waterworks facilities in central Asia.
5. “Tahal” offered to prepare a turnkey project proposal with attraction of investment by them, based on credit, under the guarantees of the Governments.
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