Water resources planning in the Middle East: Application of the PROMETHEE V multicriteria method

Water resources issues in the Middle East are increasingly becoming major complicating factors in the socio-political problems of the region. With all the economic problems and water availability constraints facing decision makers, there are a wide variety of options available to the countries of the Middle East. This paper examines some of these options for Jordan, arguably the one country in the region which potentially faces the worst water crisis. The paper describes the application of the PROMETHEE V multicriteria method to evaluate and select from a variety of potentially feasible water resources development options, so that the allocation of limited funds to alternative development projects and programs can proceed in the most efficient manner. Important policy issues such as environmental protection, water demand and supply management, and regional cooperation can be explicitly considered using the multicriteria procedure. Generalizing the approach to a Middle Eastern regional context is also discussed.