Transboundary cooperation in international basins: Clarification and experiences from the Orontes River Basin agreement: Part 2

This article analyzes the water security risks in the Orontes basin shared between Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. A complete description of the watershed's hydrography and hydrology is presented, and then, using a geographic database, an optimization method is used based on the nine factors of the UN Convention to allocate water equitably between the co-riparians. The optimization results show that Turkey and Lebanon could benefit from additional water if new negotiations are initiated. We conclude that the role of Geographic Information System (GIS) in transboundary basins is essential once a multilateral agreement occurs, whereby GIS will assist in data sharing and standardization to evaluate future policy alternatives.