Water has been and will continue to be of great importance in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict, though the truth of this is often overlooked. Worthy of consideration in this context are two waterways of south Lebanon. The Hasbani River (and its tributary the Wazzani): The river supplies 20-25% of the water flowing into the Sea of Galilee, which feeds Israeli supply. It rises in Lebanon and flows for about 50 kilometres through its territory before joining the River Jordan and emptying into the Sea of Galilee. The Lebanese moves to use this water for drinking water supply in the South have been met with increasingly sharp Israeli responses. The Litani River: The entire basin is contained within the borders of Lebanon. It rises in the northern Bekaa Valley, then empties into the Mediterranean near Tyre, and at its closest point flows 4 km from the Israeli border. Israeli interest in Lebanese water has long featured in the history of the two sides, and in particular the Litani River. Historically, various and frequent suggestions were put forward for its use for Israeli purposes.

The Litani has of late regularly cropped up in global press coverage of the 2006 crisis because it was put forward once more by Israel as the limit to its invasion of Lebanon. Given the destruction of Lebanon's infrastructure, the Litani and Hasbani rivers will prove vital to the survival and regeneration of the country.

Related news: Lebanon: lack of water and sanitation adds to risks, Source Weekly, 7 Aug 2006

Source: Arab Media Watch, 9 Aug 2006

Tags: water resources management