WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

3.5 Western Asia
Ugranath Chakarvarty, International Center on Small Hydro Power
Introduction to the region
Western Asia comprises 18 countries. The region
exhibits diverse ecosystems categorized as
Mediterranean sub-region (Turkey, Cyprus, Israel),
Mashriq sub-region - Mediterranean humid to semiarid
(Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan,
State of Palestine, Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Yemen, United Arab Emirates,
Qatar) and the mountainous Caucasus region
(Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia).
Most countries receive less than 250 mm of rainfall
per year, with Saudi Arabia receiving a minimum of 59
mm. The Caucasus region experiences the highest
precipitation with an absolute maximum of 4,100 mm.
However there are dry areas as well particularly
towards the Northeast and Southern part of Caucasus
Mountains. The Arabian Peninsula is characterized as
one of the hottest and driest regions in the world,
with temperatures often exceeding 50°C. Western
Asia has two major rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris, as
a whole, the region experiences a very high water
stress (water stress index of more than 80 per cent).
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
Jordan and Bahrain are at extreme risk of water
security, showing water stress indices exceeding 100
per cent. i The population in Mashriq region depends
very much on surface water, whereas those in Arabian
Peninsula depend on ground water for water
resources finding its foremost usage in agriculture
amounting to more than 80 per cent. It is this dire
constraint that limits hydropower development in
most countries in Western Asia especially Bahrain,
Israel, Kuwait, State of Palestine, Oman, Qatar and
Saudi Arabia.
Table 1
Overview of countries in Western Asia
Country
Population
(million)
Rural
population
(%)
Electricity
access
(%)
Electrical
capacity
(MW)
Electricity
generation
(GWh/year)
Hydropower
capacity
(MW)
Hydropower
generation
(GWh/year)
Armenia ad 3.26 36.0 100.0 2 983 6 491 1 221 2 400
Azerbaijan 9.23 47.8 .. 6 808 18 869 1 805 3 000
Georgia ae 4.63 47.0 .. 3 400 10 100 2 612 9 300
Iraq 32.30 33.4 86.0 9 000 48 830 2 501 5 020
Jordan ab 6.05 21.0 99.9 3 069 14 683 12 61
Lebanon 4.23 12.8 99.9 2 300 13 771 275 622
Turkey ac 75.70 30.4 .. 51 000 211 208 16 880 60 000
Total 135.4 - - 78 560 323 952 25 306 80 403
Sources:
a. International Journal on Hydropower & Dams 1
b. ERC Jordan 2
c. EUAS 3
d. Sargsyan 4
e. Birkadze 5
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Yemen rely entirely on
oil and natural gas for electricity generation. These are
also areas of minimum precipitation and the strategic
focus lies within storage of water in large
reservoirs/dams for agriculture, flood protection and
water security especially Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Yemen and Kuwait show
no sign of future hydropower development initiatives.
The Syrian Arab Republic employs some hydropower
for electricity generation, but has no small
hydropower plants. Its electricity generation is
primarily based on oil and natural gas, but most of the
power plants are functioning below capacity which
include both thermal and hydropower plants. The
large hydropower potential may have been exhausted
in Syrian Arab Republic but further study needs to be
conducted in order to identify potential small- and
mini-hydropower opportunities. 6
The United Arab Emirates’s electricity demands are
met entirely by conventional fossil fuels, mostly
natural gas with no hydropower. Water being a scarce
resource, there is no long term plan for hydropower
utilization. However, interest in deploying renewable
energy exists.
Jordan has acute shortages of energy and water,
unlike other countries in the region, it has no fossil
fuel resources of its own. It is also closely linked to
Israel and the State of Palestine in terms of water
usage from the Jordan River. Its electricity needs are
almost entirely powered by imported fossil fuels. The
country struggles with water supplies in general and
has an extreme risk rating of water stress with a water
stress index exceeding 100 per cent, there is little
opportunity and interest for hydropower
development in the long term.
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