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WATER COOPERATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND POVERTY ERADICATIONAssessment of Lebanon’s shared water resourcesand the need for effective cooperationAmin Shaban, Talal Darwich and Mouin Hamze, National Council for Scientific Research, Beirut, LebanonLebanon, a Middle Eastern country with an area of about10,400 km 2 , is known for its plentiful water resources.The precipitation rate averages about 900 mm, thus 15rivers exist and more than 2,000 major springs, in addition toa number of potential groundwater reservoirs. However, thecountry faces several challenges resulting from water stress thatstems from both natural and human driving forces. In additionto climate change, pollution, and over-exploitation, themismanagement of transboundary water resources is the mostsignificant issue. A lack of effective cooperative water managementapproaches at local, regional and even international levels,means that shared water is neglected and uncontrolled.About three quarters of Lebanon’s border is sharedwith neighbouring countries, and thus it has manyshared water resources. Yet no creditable measureshave been reported on cross-border water. There aretwo transboundary rivers between Lebanon and Syriain the north and one river feeding Lake Tebria andthe Jordan River to the south. In addition, the threemajor aquifers of Lebanon extend to neighbouringregions. There is only one water treaty with Syriaon the Orontes River, established in 1994. This hasproved a successful aspect of cooperation. However,the rest of Lebanon’s transboundary water resourcesImage: National Council of Scientific Research (CNRS), LebanonUncontrolled use of transboundary river water along the Al-Kabir River[ 211 ]