Mount Hermon, located on the border of Syria, Lebanon, and the Golan Heights.
Second in a series on "Environmental Diplomacy"
Join us on February 3 for a webinar with Professor Eilon Adar, who will be discussing the significance of integrated water management between nations in the Middle East, and how this reality can either be a trigger for conflict or a catalyst for cooperation.
Tuesday, February 3, 202610:00 AM - 11:00 AM (Pacific Time)Webinar
10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern / 18:00 UK / 20:00 Israel
The Zoom registration link for this webinar will be made available soon.
After registering, you will be emailed an RSVP confirmation. If you do not receive your email confirmation, please check your spam or junk mail folders.
Organized by the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. Co-sponsored by the UCLA Center for Middle East Development.
About the Program
All major rivers and aquifers in the Middle East cross international boundaries. Integrated water management is therefore essential for protecting water resources in Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority, where most of the coupled surface-groundwater systems are constrained within transboundary basins. The expected future development of urban and intensive agricultural activity threatens the precious water availability and calls for joint efforts to protect our water resources even more. The willingness of all the water partners to form a mutual—at least coordinated—water management authority is vital to ensure the sustainable use of local groundwater. Despite the apparent risk of conflict triggered by the scarcity of water, which is a clear essential commodity, it has thus far catalyzed cooperation on common water-related issues.
About the Featured Speaker
Professor Emeritus Eilon Adar founded the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where he was the Director from 2004 to 2016. He was Chair of the Board of Directors at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies (2019-2025). Since 2022, he has been a visiting professor at the Technical University of Panama (UTP). In recognition of his achievements in hydrology, he was awarded the Alain Poher Chair in Hydrogeology and Arid Zones (2000-2018).
Adar's research focuses on Groundwater Hydrology, the hydraulic link among aquifers, the connectivity between aquifers and rivers, and modeling groundwater fluxes in complex aquifer systems. Adar developed a computer code for complex hydrological systems, which models groundwater flow patterns in the Arava, Jezreel, and upper Jordan basins, as well as the coastal aquifers in Israel. The model has been applied worldwide in other complex hydrogeological basins. In addition, Prof. Adar investigates the hydrological aspects of cross-border water resources in the Middle East. Since 2021, he has been researching the feasibility of preparing and managing aquifers as a backup for a prolonged, sustainable water supply in the desalination era.
DISCLAIMER: The views or opinions of our guest speakers and the content of their presentations do not necessarily reflect the views of the UCLA Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. Hosting speakers does not constitute an endorsement of the speaker's views or opinions.
Sponsor(s): Center for Middle East Development