The Euphrates-Tigris basin is among the most important river basins in Turkey and in the Middle East. The average annual discharge of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers is 84 billion m3, which equals to the average annual flow of the Nile River. Euphrates provides 90 per cent of water, whose average annual flow is 32 billion m3, from Turkey.

The total usable water potential of Turkey is 112 Billion m3 of which 98 Billion m3 is surface water and 14 Billion m3 is groundwater. In order to monitor groundwater extractions and prevent overuse, a regulation on groundwater measuring was enacted in 2011.

The shared nature of Israel’s water resources poses a particular challenge. In order for water use to become sustainable in the region, transboundary water management must be improved.

Israel has developed innovative solutions to address its water challenges. The most significant of these are desalination and wastewater reuse . . .

Four dams and a rehabilitation project at Kouachra Lake are currently under construction. Some of the projects are controversial, such as the Brissa Dam in the north.

After the peace treaty in 1994, the implementation of a canal linking the Red Sea and the Dead Sea became the focal point of Israeli-Jordanian cooperation. In February 2015, Jordan and Israel signed an agreement to implement the first phase of the project at a cost of $900 million over a period of three years.