This study presents the analysis of water use and water demand of the Upper Litani River Basin in Lebanon. The overall aim is to assess the state of the art and to critically evaluate farmers’ attitude towards water use, and to outline water use-efficiency measures. A field survey involving 49 farmers from the Litani district was conducted to determine current farm practices and the role of best management irrigation practices on the environmental quality and sustainability of crop production. Results show an overuse of water that has led to severe water drop in many wells, especially during dry years in the Bekaa region. Other findings indicate the low efficiency of “on-farm” irrigation techniques and losses in the domestic water network. These results demonstrate the importance of taking immediate actions to curb this abuse on freshwater resources.
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Finally, a number of recommendations are given to improve water use efficiency. However the involvement of farmers, especially through water user associations, is still the best approach to obtain successful results.
