SMART - Sustainable Management of Scarce Resources in the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan

The overall objective of the SMART project is to develop, implement and test a new, participatory but scientifically sound and rational approach to planning and management of the coastal zone that can help to reconcile conflicting demands on scarce water. In essence, the project is concerned with testing a strategy for solving water demand conflicts. The development of this approach begins with the integration of different components. The resulting methodology will simulate scenarios for the assessment of water supply and water demand with reference to Integrated Coastal Zone Management methods. Together, these models aim to integrate environmental impacts, costs, access, and equity, in a systemic way. Their outputs will be assessed by a rule-based expert system and used to formulate recommendations for conflict resolution that favor sustainability over time. The participation of selected stakeholders from water management institutions is foreseen in testing the approach and in identifying best water management practice. This report describes the application of the SMART project on the Jordan case study that deals with the management of water resources in the Aqaba Area. The Gulf of Aqaba is one of the two northward branches to the Red Sea, shared between four countries, namely; Egypt from the west, Saudi Arabia from the east and Jordan and Israel to north.