94
The transformation processes and the resulting path dependencies are examined
in Kreutzmann ( 2015 , in this volume, pp. 113–127), while the institutional legacies,
the reforms and the interstate cooperation after the collapse of the Soviet Union are
studied in Moss and Dobner ( 2015 , in this volume, pp. 101–111).
The complexity of the irrigation and drainage systems and the resulting limitations are focused on in Kenjabaev and Frede ( 2015 , in this volume, pp. 129–148),
while the socio-economic settings are analysed in Hansjürgens ( 2015 , in this volume, pp. 169–186).
The water users associations are a central player in the valley’s water management sector; therefore, their role and the reasons for their successes and failures are
addressed in Moss and Hamidov ( 2015 , in this volume, pp. 149–167).
7.3 The Lower Jordan River Basin and the Red Sea–Dead
Sea Conveyance Project
The Lower Jordan River Basin stretches from Lake Tiberias (also known as Sea of
Galilee, Kinneret or Lake of Gennesaret) to the Dead Sea, the fi nal recipient of the
Jordan River (Fig. 7.3 ). The Jordan River Basin is shared between Lebanon, Syria,
Jordan, the Palestine Territories and Israel.
Water management is one of the major issues in the relationship between the
people of this region. In the past, water has been both a source of confl ict but also
the opportunity for cooperation in one of the world’s major political hot spots. All
riparian states are confronted with an excessive use of the existing water resources,
population increase and the impacts of climate change. The over-extraction of
water – mainly for agricultural purposes – has led to a constant decline in the Dead
Sea level of about 1 m/year. The consequences are the erosion of the coastal sea
line, the formation of sinkholes and the salinisation of groundwater sources around
the Dead Sea (see Fig. 7.4 ).
Lake Tiberias, the major water reservoir of the region, groundwater resources,
and the River Jordan itself are also severely impacted by unsustainable water uses.
And in the future, water stress will most probably increase.
In order to stop the further decline of the Dead Sea water level and to develop
new water sources, Jordan and Israel have proposed that the World Bank fi nances an
ambitious plan consisting of the desalination of water from the Red Sea and conveying the brine to the Dead Sea. The whole scheme is therefore referred to as the “Red
Sea–Dead Sea (RSDS) Conveyance Project”. The World Bank has agreed to carry
out a feasibility study of the project – provided that the Palestine Territories become
involved in the project. As a result of the political pressure of NGOs from the
environmental sector, the “Study of Alternatives” (Allan et al. 2012 ) was conducted
in addition to an environmental impact assessment.
The non-technical possibilities to restore the natural fl ow of the Jordan River as
an alternative to the major technological solution pursued by the RSDS project, as
well as the controversial role of the potash companies, which extract around
300 × 10
6 m
3 /year of water from the Dead Sea, were among the issues of greatest
C. Bismuth et al.
The transformation processes and the resulting path dependencies are examined
in Kreutzmann ( 2015 , in this volume, pp. 113–127), while the institutional legacies,
the reforms and the interstate cooperation after the collapse of the Soviet Union are
studied in Moss and Dobner ( 2015 , in this volume, pp. 101–111).
The complexity of the irrigation and drainage systems and the resulting limitations are focused on in Kenjabaev and Frede ( 2015 , in this volume, pp. 129–148),
while the socio-economic settings are analysed in Hansjürgens ( 2015 , in this volume, pp. 169–186).
The water users associations are a central player in the valley’s water management sector; therefore, their role and the reasons for their successes and failures are
addressed in Moss and Hamidov ( 2015 , in this volume, pp. 149–167).
7.3 The Lower Jordan River Basin and the Red Sea–Dead
Sea Conveyance Project
The Lower Jordan River Basin stretches from Lake Tiberias (also known as Sea of
Galilee, Kinneret or Lake of Gennesaret) to the Dead Sea, the fi nal recipient of the
Jordan River (Fig. 7.3 ). The Jordan River Basin is shared between Lebanon, Syria,
Jordan, the Palestine Territories and Israel.
Water management is one of the major issues in the relationship between the
people of this region. In the past, water has been both a source of confl ict but also
the opportunity for cooperation in one of the world’s major political hot spots. All
riparian states are confronted with an excessive use of the existing water resources,
population increase and the impacts of climate change. The over-extraction of
water – mainly for agricultural purposes – has led to a constant decline in the Dead
Sea level of about 1 m/year. The consequences are the erosion of the coastal sea
line, the formation of sinkholes and the salinisation of groundwater sources around
the Dead Sea (see Fig. 7.4 ).
Lake Tiberias, the major water reservoir of the region, groundwater resources,
and the River Jordan itself are also severely impacted by unsustainable water uses.
And in the future, water stress will most probably increase.
In order to stop the further decline of the Dead Sea water level and to develop
new water sources, Jordan and Israel have proposed that the World Bank fi nances an
ambitious plan consisting of the desalination of water from the Red Sea and conveying the brine to the Dead Sea. The whole scheme is therefore referred to as the “Red
Sea–Dead Sea (RSDS) Conveyance Project”. The World Bank has agreed to carry
out a feasibility study of the project – provided that the Palestine Territories become
involved in the project. As a result of the political pressure of NGOs from the
environmental sector, the “Study of Alternatives” (Allan et al. 2012 ) was conducted
in addition to an environmental impact assessment.
The non-technical possibilities to restore the natural fl ow of the Jordan River as
an alternative to the major technological solution pursued by the RSDS project, as
well as the controversial role of the potash companies, which extract around
300 × 10
6 m
3 /year of water from the Dead Sea, were among the issues of greatest
C. Bismuth et al.