REGIONAL WATER

DATA BANKS PROJECT

GROUP ON WATER RESOURCES

MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

2002

MULTILATERAL WORKING
1

multilateral track was intended to examine a range 

of technically oriented issues that extend across 

national boundaries and the resolution of which is 

essential for the promotion of long-term regional 

development and security. The focus of the multilateral track was on issues that could shape the 

future. Five multilateral working groups were 

established as well as a steering group to coordinate 

the activities of the various working groups. The 

Multilateral Working Group on Water Resources 

(MWGWR) is one of these five groups.

The model for cooperation incorporated in the 

multilateral peace process is based on the vision 

of creating synergies through awareness of common problems, such as water. Concentration on the 

common problem of regional water scarcity encourages the participants in the process to transcend the 

realm of competing interests and create a situation 

in which all parties may share benefits. This model 

REGIONAL WATER 

DATA BANKS PROJECT

MULTILATERAL WORKING 

GROUP ON WATER RESOURCES

MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

IN THE BEGINNING

The Middle East peace process began with the 

Madrid Conference in October 1991. The bilateral 

track (between the Israelis and Palestinians) was 

designed to concentrate on the political issues of 

territorial control and sovereignty, border demarcations, security arrangements, and the political rights 

of the Palestinians. Resolution of problems inherited from the past became the focus of the bilateral 

process. The message underlying the Madrid Conference was that the time had come to shed the old 

paradigms of the Middle East conflict and focus on 

the future.

The peace process partners agreed to establish 

a multilateral track (among multiple countries) to 

supplement and reinforce the bilateral track. A 

framework for the multilateral track was established 

in January 1992 in Moscow, a forum that included 

forty-six delegations from around the globe. The 

Coastal Plain
2 

of cooperation has been a process-in-the-making. It 

has been gradual and required procedural definition, 

ratification of decisions by each of the participating 

regional parties, and the support (financial and otherwise) of the various donor parties involved. The 

primary aim of the MWGWR is to create an awareness of water issues from a regional perspective. 

More specifically, the Group’s objectives are to foster cooperation and coordinate efforts to ameliorate 

water problems through activities done under the 

Group’s four agenda items:

• Enhancement of water data availability;

• Water management practices, including conservation;

• Enhancement of water supply; and

• Concepts of regional water management and 

cooperation.

The primary project designed to focus on the 

agenda item “Enhancement of water data availability” is known as the Regional Water Data Banks 

Project (WDBP). The project affords an opportunity for Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian water 

agencies (Core Parties) to work together, while 

being supported by technical and financial assistance from Australia, Canada, the European Union, 

France, The Netherlands, and the United States. In 

addition, Norway has made substantial contributions to an element of the project focusing on the 

capacity building needs of the Palestinian Water 

Authority. Most project activities are carried out 

jointly among the three Core Parties, but some were 

designed to give special help to the newly created 

Palestinian Water Authority. The WDBP is an ongoing capacity-building measure to enhance current 

and future cooperation in water management, and 

is designed to establish, upgrade, and standardize 

regional data banks of hydrologic data.

The WDBP was approved in November 1994 

and launched in January 1995 with the formation 

of the Executive Action Team (EXACT), a regional 

oversight group consisting of two members from 

each of the participating regional parties and representatives from active donor countries. EXACT 

meets twice a year to review progress on the 39 

Delegates to the workshop on “Standards for Water Data 

Acquisition and Processing” March 1994, Atlanta, Georgia.

Palestinian, Israeli, and Jordanian representatives conversing at the World 

Water Forum held at The Hague in The Netherlands, March 2000.
3

recommendations and Work Package A that were 

identified and agreed upon by the Core Parties in 

the original project implementation plan and to consider possible additional activities of interest to the 

Core Parties. 

ACHIEVEMENTS

The project has achieved much! Perhaps the 

greatest single achievement is the effective and 

continuing communication channels that have 

been established among colleagues from the Core 

Party participating agencies. Since the January 

1995 organizational meeting in Amman, the U.S. 

sponsor has convened 14 additional meetings of 

EXACT at various venues throughout the region 

or in Europe. The meetings have been held in a 

positive atmosphere and were concluded successfully, even during periods when other communication channels ceased to function. In addition to the 

EXACT representatives, many other Core Party 

participants also have met and worked together 

through joint, donor-sponsored activities hosted at 

venues throughout the region. Multiple joint technical activities and training events have brought 

Core Party working scientists together, often for the 

first time, and facilitated the exchange of technical 

water information about the region. These joint 

activities have been of immense value in helping 

people understand each other and their programs of 

common interest.

Web Site

The WDBP has a project web site, located at 

http://www.exact-me.org. The site provides an 

overview of the project and contains selected 

reports that have been prepared as a result of project activities. 

Reports

Progress has been made in many of the recommendations and this progress is covered in technical reports, some of which are designed for internal use by the Core Parties and others that are in 

the public domain. The internal reports (more than 

Palestinian, Israeli, and Jordanian representatives at the World Water Forum held at The 

Hague in The Netherlands, March 2000.

EXACT VIII meeting in Ramallah, May 1998.
4 

50) were written primarily by the European Unionsponsored project team, ANTEA-Euroconsult, and 

provide the water managers with detailed information and recommendations on a wide variety 

of subjects. The reports have been invaluable in 

helping the participating parties design and manage 

their respective programs.

Reports in the public domain include:

“Overview of Middle East Water Resources”

The “Overview” report was published in 1998. 

Areal and site-specifi c hydrologic, meteorologic, 

and geologic information provided by waterresources agencies of the region are presented to 

provide a broad depiction of the overall water conditions in the region. The work was coordinated by 

U.S. Geological Survey scientists and completed as 

a cooperative effort among the Palestinian Water 

Authority, Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation, and the Israeli Hydrological Service. The 

report looks at water resources from a regional 

perspective.

“Summary of Palestinian Hydrologic Data 2000, 

Volume I: West Bank and Volume II: Gaza”

Although not a direct activity of the WDBP, this 

two-volume report was developed as a result of the 

project and is mentioned here because of its signifi -

cance and relevance to the region and to the Core 

Parties. The report contains summaries of data for 

about 2,600 groundwater wells, 300 springs, and 70 

precipitation stations in the West Bank and the Gaza 

Strip. The PWA Water Data Bank Section offi ces 

in Gaza and the West Bank maintain the data. It is 

the fi rst public data report prepared by the Palestinian Water Authority and serves as a benchmark for 

their database. The U.S. Geological Survey coordinated work on the publication.

“Temporal Trends for Water-Resources Data in 

Areas of Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian Interest”

This publication presents analyses and interpretation of water-resources data compiled by the 

Core Parties in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey. Data analysis focused on looking for 

time-related trends relative to groundwater levels, 

discharge from springs, stream fl ow, and chloride 

and nitrate concentrations in groundwater samples. 

The time period varies for each measurement, but in 

general was 1974-98 (www.exact-me.org).

Training

Training has been a major focus of the WDBP, 

and has resulted in hundreds of hours of training for 

dozens of Core Party participants on a wide array of 

topics. The largest single training program is the 

Regional Operational Hydrology Training Project 

Brochure prepared for the Second 

World Water Forum, March 2000.

“Overview of Middle East Water 

Resources.”

Mediterranean Sea

Red Sea

Palestinian data book.

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(ROHTP) sponsored by the Canadian Government, and implemented by Hydrosult, Inc. 

It is an extensive program on water resources 

topics for both water managers and field technicians focused on building staff capabilities 

of the Core Parties in hydrometeorological 

data collection and information management. 

Every effort is made to conduct multilateral 

training events. After a briefing session in 

Jerusalem for local trainers, training sessions 

have been held in Amman (2 weeks on 

groundwater), Ramallah (2 weeks on surface 

water), and Zichron Yaacov (1 week on water 

quality). About 75 people attended these sessions. The course materials included specially 

designed training manuals and trainee exercise 

and handbooks in the respective subjects. All 

of the materials have been prepared in English, and 

some have been translated into Hebrew and Arabic. 

A complete course tutorial module for surface-water 

hydrometry for field and office techniques also has 

been prepared and submitted to the Core Parties.

In addition to the large-scale Canadian-sponsored training program, there have been multiple 

ad hoc training events offered to meet the needs of 

specific activities being carried out by other Donor 

Parties. The format of these events ranged from 

standard classroom presentations to on-the-jobtraining (OJT). 

Technical experts sponsored by the European 

Union have worked with the Core Parties on several 

OJT events, including database development, interpretation of water-quality network data, and interpretation of surface-water network data. Technical 

experts sponsored by France have provided OJT on 

the installation and operation of hydro-meteorological and stream-gauging stations, several workshops 

on data interpretation, and a study tour in France.

Technical experts sponsored by the United 

States have provided training on statistical analysis for water-resources analyses, laboratory review 

procedures, writing laboratory quality-assurance 

plans, water-quality field measurements and use of 

a mobile laboratory, how to improve laboratory analytical results, fundamentals of relational database 

design, rainfall intensity data analysis, use of digitizing rainfall intensity strip chart software, and use 

of RAINPLOT software.

Data Collection Networks

Technical experts sponsored by the European 

Union reviewed the existing groundwater, surfacewater, water-quality, and meteorological monitoring 

networks of the Core Parties. The review included 

describing and documenting station locations, types 

of stations, equipment installed, types of data collected, and length of data record. Emphasis was 

given to the infrastructure, and rehabilitation was 

recommended for selected sites.

Technical experts sponsored by France are 

implementing a project to develop a pilot real-time 

monitoring system for hydrometeorological data 

measurements, transmission, processing, storage, 

and interpretation. The pilot system is composed 

of a variety of instruments for data acquisition 

and measurement. The data-collection system is 

designed to improve capabilities for preventing and 

managing critical and sudden changes in hydromeA training class.

Preparing for a groundwater seminar in Amman.
6 

teorological conditions in drainage areas and river 

basins, including groundwater conditions. Plans 

call for 21 hydrometeorological stations to be 

constructed, 6 gauging stations to be rehabilitated, 

a data transmission system installed, a variety of 

ancillary and complementary equipment provided, 

and database development in the form of software 

routines for transferring automatically gathered 

data into the databases. There also will be on-thejob training on the installation and operation of the 

equipment, workshops on data interpretation, and a 

study tour in France. Most of this work has been 

completed (2002).

Data Collection Standards and Procedures

Technical experts sponsored by the European 

Union reviewed the field data-collection techniques 

used by the Core Parties for groundwater levels and 

abstraction, surface-water gauging, and meteorology. The review confirmed that international standards as defined by the World Meteorological Organization were in use by the Parties and, because of 

this, it is believed that the data are comparable. 

Agreements were reached among the Parties to 

improve selected procedures and practices jointly 

in order to support data consistency and comparability. The agreements included (1) definition of 

a base, minimum level of information to be collected for all well inventory and water-quality field 

measurement forms, (2) use of field note forms as 

a method to record and process field water-quality 

information, (3) standardization and definition of 

water-quality-related terminology, (4) adherence to 

similar characteristics in construction and operation of surface-water gauging stations, and (5) use 

of common units for reporting water-quality field 

measurements and clear definition between field 

and laboratory data. 

Technical experts sponsored by the European 

Union worked with the Core Parties to review their 

geographic reference systems. Although each Party 

uses a different system, the location references are 

comparable.

A conversion program was prepared that correlates the different systems to facilitate sharing data 

as appropriate. The European Union also provided 

to each Party GPS Magellan Trimble GeoExplorer 

systems and a wide variety of software including 

software for: MapInfo, water chemistry, hydrologic 

data analysis and interpretation, database development, statistical analyses, and GIS.

Technical experts sponsored by the United 

States reviewed various water-quality programs 

and worked with the Core Parties to effect some 

procedural modifications. Mobile laboratories were 

designed by the Parties, constructed in the United 

States, stocked with water-quality-oriented field 

equipment, and donated to each of the Core Parties. 

A pH measurement in the Palestinian mobile laboratory.

Multi-Party scientists being shown how to measure dissolved oxygen. 
7

The Parties agreed to adopt “Standard Methods for 

the Examination of Water and Wastewater” as a 

regional standard analytical methods manual. Representatives from the major Core Party laboratories 

were trained in laboratory review procedures and 

implemented a program of joint technical reviews 

of the major laboratories in the region. About 25 

regional laboratories participate in the U.S. Geological Survey’s semi-annual Standard Reference 

Sample program in which they are part of a group 

of about 250 laboratories all analyzing the same 

water sample. A regional water-quality committee 

consisting of water-quality experts from each of the 

Core Parties was formed. The committee made recommendations on ways to improve water-qualityrelated work in the region. One activity of the committee was to design and implement a program to 

jointly collect field data and water-quality samples 

of various types for comparison by local analysis. 

The United States also worked directly with the Palestinian Water Authority to help them set up their 

laboratory and make it operational. 

The Canadian Project, ROHTP, has for a main 

objective the harmonization of data collection and 

management procedures within the three Core Parties. The Project’s training courses and modules, 

and the regional joint training sessions are designed 

and intended to attain this objective.

Data Storage and Communication

Experts sponsored by the European Union provided substantial technical assistance to the Core 

Parties on data storage and organization, including 

on-the-job training in database development and 

contributions of hardware and software. The equipment provided included several computers, laser and 

color printers, scanner, digitizing table, and UPS 

(uninterruptible power source) units. The European 

Union experts worked directly with the Palestinian 

Water Authority to help them develop and populate 

their data base. Each of the Core Parties has a functioning database that is being used effectively on a 

daily basis. The database management programs 

used by the Core Parties are compatible, and there 

are few technical problems associated with data 

transfer among the databases.

Experts sponsored by the United States assisted 

the Parties in the development of Local Area and 

Wide Area Networks, so the Core Parties can communicate internally among themselves and their 

remote offices and externally to other agencies and 

the Internet. Assistance included contributions of 

computer hardware and software, telecommunications lines, wiring, and installation.

Experts sponsored by the United States have 

assisted the Parties to develop a joint, regional 

database to store and process rainfall intensity 

data. They have provided hardware (computers 

and digitizers), developed software to digitize 

Digitizing rainfall data from strip charts in Amman. 

Laying a water pipe.
8 

rainfall strip charts for direct entry into the database, 

and provided a modified version of RAINPLOT 

software that can be used to analyze the data.

Data Analysis, Interpretation, and Publication

On-the-job training in the analysis of groundwater quality and surface-water gauging data sponsored by the European Union provided the Parties 

with improved insight into the water resources situation. European Union experts also worked with 

Jordanian and Palestinian scientists in developing 

a potential format and procedures for publishing a 

periodic hydrological bulletin.

Wastewater

Experts sponsored by the European Union conducted an inventory of wastewater-related concerns. 

It produced overviews, by Party, on quantities of 

wastewater produced, collected, treated and reused, 

existing major treatment plants, existing waterquality standards, and institutions responsible for 

wastewater management. They also have prepared 

two Decision Support Systems (DSS) as Excel 

spreadsheets. The first DSS focused on water reuse 

for agriculture. The system can select from 60 possible crops according to water quality standards 

and guidelines for reuse, and soil characteristics. 

The second DSS focused on wastewater treatment 

technologies for small communities, defined as a 

community with a population range from 1,000 to 

20,000 inhabitants. The system can select desirable 

actions from many possible options and rank them 

according to pre-determined criteria.

ON-GOING AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES

Canada

The Regional Operational Hydrology Training Project, on-going since 1999, takes a regional 

approach to building staff capabilities of the three 

Core Parties in hydrometeorological data collection 

and information management. The Canadian implementing agency (Hydrosult, Inc.) is scheduling more 

training events (office and field technicians, middle 

level managers) and is working with the Parties to 

get the training materials accredited so that the participants can receive official credit for completion of 

the training. To that effect, Hydrosult has prepared 

guidelines that were distributed to the Core Parties, 

on the establishment and mandate of a Regional 

Accreditation Board, to be established by the Core 

Parties. In addition to these activities, the ROHTP 

Drilling deep water-supply well in the South Jordan desert. 

Gauging station on the Upper Jordan River. 
9

includes an advisory services component that is 

directed at the respective needs of the Core Parties in 

key areas of water resources management.

European Union

The European Union already has completed an 

extensive and complex list of activities consisting 

of three Phases, and is finalizing a program of Phase 

4 activities. The main objectives of Phase 4 are to 

implement some of the recommendations of the earlier phases by: (1) improving the management and 

understanding of waste-water issues, (2) broadening 

the scope of the decision-support systems, and (3) 

enhancing the practical capacity of the Core Parties 

to measure and store data on meteorology, surface 

flow, groundwater levels, and water quality.

Equipment to be obtained includes: hydrometric equipment, surface-water (flow measuring) 

equipment, groundwater monitoring equipment, 

and laboratory equipment. Plans also include 

training in the operation and maintenance of 

the equipment and activities specifically related 

to the Palestinian Water Authority focused on 

rehabilitation of spring measurement and data base 

enhancement. 

Specific objectives of Phase 4 include:

• Extension of decision support systems for wastewater.

• Extension of base-line survey of wastewater.

• Rehabilitation or construction of flow measurement and climate stations.

• Purchase and installation of measuring and transmission equipment, ancillary equipment, and 

laboratory equipment.

• Training in the operation and maintenance of the 

above.

• Data base enhancement.

France

The French-sponsored project, as implemented 

by the French Global Environmental Facility agency, 

began in February 2000 and is funded for 3 years. The 

long-term goal is to establish a data collection system 

as a tool suitable for improving the capabilities for 

preventing and managing critical and sudden changes 

in hydrometeorological conditions in drainage areas 

and river basins, including groundwater conditions. 

The specific objectives are:

• Improvement of measurement networks in pilot 

areas.

King Abdullah canal at the outflow of pipeline bringing 

water from Lake Tiberias.

Data collection platform at Wadi Hasa near Safa.
10 

• Implementation of a suitable data transmission 

system.

• Development of a real-time monitoring system.

• Processing and use of data in real-time and 

transfer to data banks.

The three main activities in executing the 

project are: (1) technical assistance, (2) facilities 

for training sessions, workshops, and monitoring 

meetings, and (3) equipment. Much of the work 

has been completed, but the project is not yet fully 

operational.

The Netherlands

The Government of The Netherlands recently 

has started implementation of a project on smallscale water treatment and artificial recharge. As part 

of the inception phase of the project, the executing 

agency, IHE/Delft, currently is discussing the selection of pilot sites with the Core Parties. The project 

will include carrying out small-scale pilot activities 

concerning raw water treatment, artificial recharge, 

and groundwater modeling and will focus on capacity development on relevant methodologies.

United States

The United States continues to sponsor the 

semi-annual meetings of the EXACT group, with 

meetings typically held in the spring and fall of 

each year. 

In addition, the United States is beginning 

to implement a new project focused on helping 

the Core Parties to store, analyze, and exchange 

hydrogeologic information related to groundwater 

resources of the region. The project will assist the 

Core Parties to: agree on common lithological and 

stratigraphical nomenclature, develop databases to 

store a wide variety of hydrogeologic data, initiate a 

digitization program for these data, provide the analytical tools needed to analyze the data, and make 

digital maps of selected hydrogeological strata.

THE FUTURE

The project has been very successful, bringing 

many benefits to the Core Party participants and 

their constituents. The progress attained at the programmatic level would not have been possible without the development of mutual trust and credibility 

among the participating regional parties. Two key 

factors demonstrate the strength and resiliency of 

the working relationships among the Parties. First, 

the WDBP has been able to continue functioning 

during the ups and downs of the political negotiations of the bilateral track. Second, in addition to 

implementing ongoing activities with the Donor 

Parties, the participating regional Parties have come 

together on their own to discuss and agree on additional activities for the project. 

The participating regional Parties have gained 

credibility not only in their dealings with one 

another, but with the donor nations as well. As 

their working relationships have grown and solidified, the regional Parties have become more proactive and have become the initiators of additional 

WDBP activities. As a sub-group, the Core Parties 

today are able to better articulate local and regional 

needs and function jointly as active partners in the 

Small flowing spring in the region.
11

design and direction of activities. This approach is 

a key element in attracting donors to support expansion of the original project portfolio. The unbiased 

and dedicated leadership of the donor Parties, 

coupled with a continuing commitment of funds 

and personnel, also has been crucial in sustaining 

the WDBP throughout the more than 7 years of the 

project’s existence. Working relations between the 

donor representatives and the regional participants 

have emerged as a real partnership and transcend 

the traditional donor-recipient relationship. Today, 

the WDBP represents a focal point to which additional projects can be directed and from which they 

can be effectively carried out. 

The MWGWR has proven to be an effective 

mechanism for positive change. The working relations that have been established among the participating regional Parties offer an unprecedented 

opportunity to move forward into new ventures 

that will support regional growth, prosperity and 

peace. Nothing in life is static. Either we grow, or 

we stagnate and wither away. Like life, the WDBP 

must be an evolving process. We must continue to 

grow, and we can capitalize on the momentum and 

resources that have been established over the past 

years. In support of growth and expansion, the 

project is ready to include, and would welcome, 

other parties from the MENA region into the process. The systems developed in the project can be 

expanded to include other regional parties.

A Vision

In terms of vision, our people depend on and 

share a finite number of tangible items. One of 

those tangible items, without which life will cease 

to exist, is water. Both rain and drought are shared 

by all, not by choice, but by act of a power greater 

than mankind. Is it possible that these shared 

events can provide a common focus during times of 

crisis? Can our need for water lead the way?

Can we take control of our future? Current 

events seem to dictate that we cannot. But perhaps 

there are portions of our life that we CAN control. 

And perhaps our job is not to control the present, but 

to prepare for the future. The question is “How?” 

Our water is a finite resource, limited in quantity, 

and essential to life. We must work together to collect and analyze data that will enable us to better 

understand the quantity and the quality of our water 

resources. We must plan together to manage and 

protect our limited precious resource, and we must 

enlighten our political leaders and educate our citizens so they can make wise and informed choices. 

We must offer alternatives to shortages, pollution, 

and mismanagement. It’s a difficult and thankless, 

but essential, job.

Where do we begin? With information, data, 

and knowledge. By sharing the responsibility for 

water resources management. We must reinvent 

the way we do business and, if necessary, rewrite 

the laws. Let’s work together to share our existing water data, to collect data in those areas where 

there is none, to share analyses, and to develop 

plans for informed, intelligent management of our 

water resources. Let’s reach out to the people of the 

region, and share with them the knowledge that our 

water resources are finite and that we have options, 

and teach them the options so they can make 

wise choices. We, too, have choices. Let’s work 

together to change the future.

Potential Activities

There are a wide variety of technical activities 

that can be undertaken in the region to materially 

improve the life of the people who live there, and 

the WDBP offers a mechanism to support some of 

these activities. The scope of the potential activities 

ranges from relatively inexpensive to large-scale 

Local flooding after a hard rain.
12

infrastructure projects. Some ideas (not in priority 

order) include:

• Exploration of alternative water sources, such 

as wastewater reuse or desalination

• Regional water-quality assessment

• Well-head protection project

• Digitization of large amounts of raw data

• Monitoring of resources

• Conservation projects

• Pollution prevention

• Sewage management

• Public Health issues

• Regional estimation of groundwater recharge

• Development of brackish groundwater

• Development of decision support systems

• Water use

• Water demand analysis

• Water treatment and artificial recharge

Regardless of the outcome, the WDBP is a 

tried and proven model and a process for effective 

Sunset on Lake Tiberias.

regional cooperation in water issues that can be 

applied both within the Middle East and in otherareas of the world. The combination of commitment towards the common objective of fostering 

regional awareness, directed project definition 

and planning, the inclusion of confidence building measures as an integral part of the group’s 

raison d’être, effective teamwork, and proactive 

facilitation and support from the international 

donor community has proven to be a positive 

dynamic that facilitates capacity building on 

a regional scale. The success of the WDBP, as 

reflected in the period of the project’s existence, 

should serve as a beacon to the rest of the world 

as to what CAN be accomplished by working 

cooperatively on a regional level. For many 

years the consensus among political commentators was that water would be a cause of conflict 

in the Middle East region. The participants in 

the WDBP have shown that when water professionals co-operate in a supportive environment it 

can, on the contrary, be a motivator for peace.