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Transcript of an Interview With Adib Farha on BBC On the Wazzani Water Rights Dispute

October 16, 2002 at 10:30 PM (London Time)

Q. Don't you think that it is a problem to take someone else's water?

A. If we were taking somebody else's water, it would be a problem. But we are merely taking a small percentage of what's rightfully ours. Even with the additional water that will be pumped with the inauguration of the pump today, Lebanon would only be benefiting from 9 million cubic meters of water per year, which is a tiny part of what is rightfully ours under any and all international water rights agreements.

Q. What water rights agreements are you referring to?

A. There are several agreements that have, over time, regulated the water rights issue between Lebanon and Palestine, now known as Israel.

There was an agreement between the French and the British in 1920 regarding the utilization of the Jordan and Yarmuk Rivers and their tributaries. Then there was another French-British agreement in 1923 to demarcate the Syrian-Lebanese borders, which also referred to Lebanon's right to take all the water it needs to quench the thirst of its people and to irrigate its land. There was also an agreement in 1926 among Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon that addressed this issue. And, of course, there were visits in 1954 and 1955 by an envoy of US President Eisenhower, Ambassador Eric Johnston to deal with this matter. Ambassador Johnston's report gave Lebanon the right to 35 million cubic meters per year. Yet with the additional water that we are pumping as of today, we will only be getting 9 million cubic meters per year.

Q. But the Johnston agreement was never ratified.

A. You are correct. The proposed Johnston Agreement has not been ratified. But interestingly enough, there was a report by ESCWA, the Economic Social Commission of West Asia, a United Nations agency, which was delivered to Lebanon yesterday. Let me quote from this report and specifically from Article 3.5 thereof. It states, "Among the obligations of the Lebanese government is supplying the local residents with water for their domestic and other use. We also find", the report goes on to say, and I am quoting, "that the Lebanese government has not breached any international agreement and that the UN mediation is needed to resolve this conflict". So here you have the United Nations itself saying that we have not breached any international agreement.

Q. Why couldn't you have sat down and talked the matter over with Israel?

A. We are in a state of war with Israel. If and when there is a peace agreement that ends the state of war between us, we could then sit at the table and discuss various matters. Right now, the only party that is entitled to arbitrate is the United Nations. Under any and all water rights agreements, including the most recent one that was proposed by the United Nations in 1997 and which is yet to be ratified, we are well within our rights.

Q. Isn't it true that Lebanon has chosen the timing of this project to take advantage of the situation in Iraq, while the attention of the United States is on Iraq?

A. The timing was delayed by Israel's occupation of South Lebanon for 22 years. This part of the country was liberated only two years ago and it was only then that the central Lebanese government was able to have access to the Wazzani River. Since then, we tried to get international funding for this project. But when we found out that such funding was not forthcoming, we went ahead and decided to finance it ourselves. And by the time we prepared the studies and embarked on the project, it became ready right now.