Inventory of Shared water resources in Western Asia

The Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia is the first effortled by the United Nations to catalogue and characterize transboundarysurface and groundwater resources in the Middle East. It is a desk studyby the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia(ESCWA) and the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and NaturalResources (BGR), which has been developed in close consultation withnational, regional and international experts. Through the inter-governmentalCommittee on Water Resources and nominated focal points, ESCWA membercountries have actively participated in the preparation of this Inventory,including the identification of shared basins, the compilation of informationand the review of chapters.The Inventory follows a standardized structure, with 9 surface water chaptersand 17 groundwater chapters that systematically address hydrology,hydrogeology, water resources development and use, international wateragreements and transboundary water management efforts.

The chapters cover all rivers and groundwater resources shared between and by Arabcountries in the Middle East. By providing an up-to-date view of the state andevolution of shared water resources in Western Asia, the Inventory makesan important contribution to the regional debate surrounding shared waterresources as well as to further discussion and analysis at the basin level.It targets a wide audience of experts from water, environment and othersectors, including decision-makers, government representatives, academia,donors, specialized agencies, international and non-governmental or civilsociety organizations.