Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture

Bassam Hamdar; Abbas Hamdan

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14

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Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture

Bassam Hamdar, Abbas Hamdan

Published in American Journal of Water Science and Engineering (Volume 6, Issue 1)

Received: 26 September 2019 Accepted: 31 January 2020 Published: 11 February 2020

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Abstract

The Arabian orient from the end of World War II on has been boiling with conflicts, the underlying reason ever since, natural resources. The vassal states created by the French and the British after their victory in the Great War had their borders drawn on the premise of distributing this wealth. However; priorities in the region are starting to shift. With the rising prices, diminishing reserves of oil and the discovery of larger deposits in other regions of the world, the dependence on solar and renewable energy sources is gaining an equivalent strategic importance, water is becoming a major player in the region’s politics, and it is the new strategic asset. Whether in energy production or agriculture, water, is a more suitable substitute to produce electricity at lower costs, a perfect substitute to oil and gas, and safer than nuclear energy. This paper aims at revealing the wasted wealth of water that Lebanon has thirsty neighbors look upon to have. Lebanon is a small piece of land, which God almighty has blessed with annual rain that averages between 8 to 10 billion m³, a figure that can easily classify as a strategic asset. The regions` limited fresh water resources will determine the future political alliances and will possess the key to trigger wars. This paper also demonstrates how the increase in agricultural production would lead to an increase in water needed for irrigation that varies according to the nature of the crops considered by this study i.e., Wheat, Veggies, Citrus, and Apples. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method was utilized to determine the needed water per crop per ton. A regression model with four independent variables was used to cover Wheat, Veggies, Citrus, and Apples, along with one dependent variable, the level of water needed. The findings indicated that for every ton of wheat produced 14 MCM of water is needed, and for every ton of veggies produced 0.002 MCM of water is needed, moreover, for every ton of citrus produced 0.006 MCM of water is needed, and finally, for every ton of apple produced 0.035 MCM of water is needed.

Published in	American Journal of Water Science and Engineering (Volume 6, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14
Page(s)	31-38
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Lebanon, Water Resources, OLS Method, Needed Water Per Crop. Agriculture

References

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[6]	Al Farawati, R., Al Maradni, A., Basaham, A., & El Sayed, M. (2008). Reclaimed Municipal Wastewater used for the Irrigation of Green Areas in Jeddah: 1 – Chemical Characteristics. Retrieved June 09, 2018, from https://www.kau.edu.sa/Files/320/Researches/51959_22091.pdfIbrahim Abd El Al (1959). Retrieved June 09, 2018, from https://www.ibrahimabdelal.org/news.html.
[7]	Daou, R., & Mikhael, M. (2017, August 25). Lebanon’s Paradox: Water is Abundant yet Scarce (Rep.). Retrieved December 14, 2018, from http://blog.blominvestbank.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Lebanon’s-Paradox-Water-is-Abundant-yet-Scarce.pdf.
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[13]	Houri, A., & El Jeblawi, S. (2007). Water quality assessment of Lebanese coastal rivers during dry season and pollution load into the Mediterranean Sea. Retrieved October 26, 2018, from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c2e4/63009f9043d28cc9067423aab2e9cacafed8.pdf.
[14]	Water Conservation Tips. (n.d.). Retrieved October 07, 2018 from https://www.nwc.com.sa/English/Community-and-Environment/Water-value/Water-Conservation-Tips/Pages/default.aspx.
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APA Style

Bassam Hamdar, Abbas Hamdan. (2020). Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture. American Journal of Water Science and Engineering, 6(1), 31-38. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14

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ACS Style

Bassam Hamdar; Abbas Hamdan. Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture. Am. J. Water Sci. Eng. 2020, 6(1), 31-38. doi: 10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14

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AMA Style

Bassam Hamdar, Abbas Hamdan. Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture. Am J Water Sci Eng. 2020;6(1):31-38. doi: 10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14

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@article{10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14,
  author = {Bassam Hamdar and Abbas Hamdan},
  title = {Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture},
  journal = {American Journal of Water Science and Engineering},
  volume = {6},
  number = {1},
  pages = {31-38},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajwse.20200601.14},
  abstract = {The Arabian orient from the end of World War II on has been boiling with conflicts, the underlying reason ever since, natural resources. The vassal states created by the French and the British after their victory in the Great War had their borders drawn on the premise of distributing this wealth. However; priorities in the region are starting to shift. With the rising prices, diminishing reserves of oil and the discovery of larger deposits in other regions of the world, the dependence on solar and renewable energy sources is gaining an equivalent strategic importance, water is becoming a major player in the region’s politics, and it is the new strategic asset. Whether in energy production or agriculture, water, is a more suitable substitute to produce electricity at lower costs, a perfect substitute to oil and gas, and safer than nuclear energy. This paper aims at revealing the wasted wealth of water that Lebanon has thirsty neighbors look upon to have. Lebanon is a small piece of land, which God almighty has blessed with annual rain that averages between 8 to 10 billion m3, a figure that can easily classify as a strategic asset. The regions` limited fresh water resources will determine the future political alliances and will possess the key to trigger wars. This paper also demonstrates how the increase in agricultural production would lead to an increase in water needed for irrigation that varies according to the nature of the crops considered by this study i.e., Wheat, Veggies, Citrus, and Apples. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method was utilized to determine the needed water per crop per ton. A regression model with four independent variables was used to cover Wheat, Veggies, Citrus, and Apples, along with one dependent variable, the level of water needed. The findings indicated that for every ton of wheat produced 14 MCM of water is needed, and for every ton of veggies produced 0.002 MCM of water is needed, moreover, for every ton of citrus produced 0.006 MCM of water is needed, and finally, for every ton of apple produced 0.035 MCM of water is needed.},
 year = {2020}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture
AU  - Bassam Hamdar
AU  - Abbas Hamdan
Y1  - 2020/02/11
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14
T2  - American Journal of Water Science and Engineering
JF  - American Journal of Water Science and Engineering
JO  - American Journal of Water Science and Engineering
SP  - 31
EP  - 38
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-1875
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14
AB  - The Arabian orient from the end of World War II on has been boiling with conflicts, the underlying reason ever since, natural resources. The vassal states created by the French and the British after their victory in the Great War had their borders drawn on the premise of distributing this wealth. However; priorities in the region are starting to shift. With the rising prices, diminishing reserves of oil and the discovery of larger deposits in other regions of the world, the dependence on solar and renewable energy sources is gaining an equivalent strategic importance, water is becoming a major player in the region’s politics, and it is the new strategic asset. Whether in energy production or agriculture, water, is a more suitable substitute to produce electricity at lower costs, a perfect substitute to oil and gas, and safer than nuclear energy. This paper aims at revealing the wasted wealth of water that Lebanon has thirsty neighbors look upon to have. Lebanon is a small piece of land, which God almighty has blessed with annual rain that averages between 8 to 10 billion m3, a figure that can easily classify as a strategic asset. The regions` limited fresh water resources will determine the future political alliances and will possess the key to trigger wars. This paper also demonstrates how the increase in agricultural production would lead to an increase in water needed for irrigation that varies according to the nature of the crops considered by this study i.e., Wheat, Veggies, Citrus, and Apples. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method was utilized to determine the needed water per crop per ton. A regression model with four independent variables was used to cover Wheat, Veggies, Citrus, and Apples, along with one dependent variable, the level of water needed. The findings indicated that for every ton of wheat produced 14 MCM of water is needed, and for every ton of veggies produced 0.002 MCM of water is needed, moreover, for every ton of citrus produced 0.006 MCM of water is needed, and finally, for every ton of apple produced 0.035 MCM of water is needed.
VL  - 6
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Bassam Hamdar

Department of Economics, Faculty of Business and Economics, American University of Science and Technology, Beirut, Lebanon
Abbas Hamdan

Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program, Faculty of Business and Economics, American University of Science and Technology, Beirut, Lebanon

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APA Style

Bassam Hamdar, Abbas Hamdan. (2020). Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture. American Journal of Water Science and Engineering, 6(1), 31-38. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14

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ACS Style

Bassam Hamdar; Abbas Hamdan. Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture. Am. J. Water Sci. Eng. 2020, 6(1), 31-38. doi: 10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14

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AMA Style

Bassam Hamdar, Abbas Hamdan. Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture. Am J Water Sci Eng. 2020;6(1):31-38. doi: 10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14

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@article{10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14,
  author = {Bassam Hamdar and Abbas Hamdan},
  title = {Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture},
  journal = {American Journal of Water Science and Engineering},
  volume = {6},
  number = {1},
  pages = {31-38},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajwse.20200601.14},
  abstract = {The Arabian orient from the end of World War II on has been boiling with conflicts, the underlying reason ever since, natural resources. The vassal states created by the French and the British after their victory in the Great War had their borders drawn on the premise of distributing this wealth. However; priorities in the region are starting to shift. With the rising prices, diminishing reserves of oil and the discovery of larger deposits in other regions of the world, the dependence on solar and renewable energy sources is gaining an equivalent strategic importance, water is becoming a major player in the region’s politics, and it is the new strategic asset. Whether in energy production or agriculture, water, is a more suitable substitute to produce electricity at lower costs, a perfect substitute to oil and gas, and safer than nuclear energy. This paper aims at revealing the wasted wealth of water that Lebanon has thirsty neighbors look upon to have. Lebanon is a small piece of land, which God almighty has blessed with annual rain that averages between 8 to 10 billion m3, a figure that can easily classify as a strategic asset. The regions` limited fresh water resources will determine the future political alliances and will possess the key to trigger wars. This paper also demonstrates how the increase in agricultural production would lead to an increase in water needed for irrigation that varies according to the nature of the crops considered by this study i.e., Wheat, Veggies, Citrus, and Apples. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method was utilized to determine the needed water per crop per ton. A regression model with four independent variables was used to cover Wheat, Veggies, Citrus, and Apples, along with one dependent variable, the level of water needed. The findings indicated that for every ton of wheat produced 14 MCM of water is needed, and for every ton of veggies produced 0.002 MCM of water is needed, moreover, for every ton of citrus produced 0.006 MCM of water is needed, and finally, for every ton of apple produced 0.035 MCM of water is needed.},
 year = {2020}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Economic Modeling of Water Need Determination in Lebanon: Implication for Lebanon’s Agriculture
AU  - Bassam Hamdar
AU  - Abbas Hamdan
Y1  - 2020/02/11
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14
T2  - American Journal of Water Science and Engineering
JF  - American Journal of Water Science and Engineering
JO  - American Journal of Water Science and Engineering
SP  - 31
EP  - 38
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-1875
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajwse.20200601.14
AB  - The Arabian orient from the end of World War II on has been boiling with conflicts, the underlying reason ever since, natural resources. The vassal states created by the French and the British after their victory in the Great War had their borders drawn on the premise of distributing this wealth. However; priorities in the region are starting to shift. With the rising prices, diminishing reserves of oil and the discovery of larger deposits in other regions of the world, the dependence on solar and renewable energy sources is gaining an equivalent strategic importance, water is becoming a major player in the region’s politics, and it is the new strategic asset. Whether in energy production or agriculture, water, is a more suitable substitute to produce electricity at lower costs, a perfect substitute to oil and gas, and safer than nuclear energy. This paper aims at revealing the wasted wealth of water that Lebanon has thirsty neighbors look upon to have. Lebanon is a small piece of land, which God almighty has blessed with annual rain that averages between 8 to 10 billion m3, a figure that can easily classify as a strategic asset. The regions` limited fresh water resources will determine the future political alliances and will possess the key to trigger wars. This paper also demonstrates how the increase in agricultural production would lead to an increase in water needed for irrigation that varies according to the nature of the crops considered by this study i.e., Wheat, Veggies, Citrus, and Apples. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method was utilized to determine the needed water per crop per ton. A regression model with four independent variables was used to cover Wheat, Veggies, Citrus, and Apples, along with one dependent variable, the level of water needed. The findings indicated that for every ton of wheat produced 14 MCM of water is needed, and for every ton of veggies produced 0.002 MCM of water is needed, moreover, for every ton of citrus produced 0.006 MCM of water is needed, and finally, for every ton of apple produced 0.035 MCM of water is needed.
VL  - 6
IS  - 1
ER  -

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