192
While the infl ow to Lake Tiberias did not show important variations since the
1950s, the outfl ow of the lake into Jordan was considerably reduced by the diversion
of the lake’s waters into Israel’s National Water Carrier. The National Water Carrier
transports the water from the northern part of Israel to the southern parts. The carrier
provides both drinking water and water for irrigation to Israel. In order to enhance
the quality of the water in the carrier, saline sources of the lake have been diverted
away from the lake into Jordan, raising its salinity levels.
Water abstraction from Jordan itself and the Yarmuk, as one of its major tributaries, has increased signifi cantly over the years, resulting in a minor infl ow of
20–200 × 10
6 m
3 /year into the Dead Sea, compared to an infl ow of about 1,3 × 10
9 m
3 /
year 60 years ago.
A further 200–300 × 10
6 m
3 /year is abstracted from the Dead Sea itself by the
Jordanian and Israeli Dead Sea potash companies. According to the survey of
TAHAL and Geological Survey of Israel (GSI) ( 2011 , p. 5), a minimum infl ow of
700 × 10
6 m
3 /year would be indispensable to stabilise the current sea level.
Addition of all abstractions leads to the known consequence for the Dead Sea: Its
level is declining with a rate of about 1 m annually (Bismuth et al. 2015a , in this
volume, pp. 89–98).
13.1.1 Water Uses and Water Abstractions
The different uses for Israel, the Palestine territories and Jordan are presented in
Fig. 13.2 . Agriculture is the most important water user in the region, even though its
contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) is rather low with 3.3 % for Jordan
(World Bank 2013a , p. 23) and 1.4 % for Israel ( 2012 GDP at current prices, Israel
Central Bureau of Statistics ( 2013 ). In 2008, the GDP for agriculture in the Palestinian
Territories was 4.8 % (Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute 2010 ).
Figure 13.3 shows the water abstraction for Israel, Jordan and the West Bank
by type of source. The data do not present abstractions from non-approved wells
in the West Bank and in Jordan. The Palestinian Water Authority does reveal
information neither on the use of desalinated water nor on wastewater. According
to the same sources, existing storm water harvesting structures (dams, cisterns
and agricultural ponds in the West Bank) have a bulk potential of around
5.45 × 10
6 m
3 (Palestinian Water Authority 2012 ). But as neither the year nor the
actual volumes of abstractions are pointed out, and the amount is quite negligible,
we did not consider this value.
We have selected the year 2007 in order to use a comparable data basis for Jordan
and Israel. The years 2007 and 2008 mark the climax of a sequence of drought years
and turning points in water policies, namely, the construction of major seawater
desalination facilities at the Mediterranean shore and key administrative and legal
reforms. Therefore, data from those years appear to provide a valid basis to evaluate
progress and failures. Changes in the use and abstraction of water in Israel from 2007
until now will be discussed in Bismuth et al. ( 2015b , in this volume, pp. 253–275).
C. Bismuth
While the infl ow to Lake Tiberias did not show important variations since the
1950s, the outfl ow of the lake into Jordan was considerably reduced by the diversion
of the lake’s waters into Israel’s National Water Carrier. The National Water Carrier
transports the water from the northern part of Israel to the southern parts. The carrier
provides both drinking water and water for irrigation to Israel. In order to enhance
the quality of the water in the carrier, saline sources of the lake have been diverted
away from the lake into Jordan, raising its salinity levels.
Water abstraction from Jordan itself and the Yarmuk, as one of its major tributaries, has increased signifi cantly over the years, resulting in a minor infl ow of
20–200 × 10
6 m
3 /year into the Dead Sea, compared to an infl ow of about 1,3 × 10
9 m
3 /
year 60 years ago.
A further 200–300 × 10
6 m
3 /year is abstracted from the Dead Sea itself by the
Jordanian and Israeli Dead Sea potash companies. According to the survey of
TAHAL and Geological Survey of Israel (GSI) ( 2011 , p. 5), a minimum infl ow of
700 × 10
6 m
3 /year would be indispensable to stabilise the current sea level.
Addition of all abstractions leads to the known consequence for the Dead Sea: Its
level is declining with a rate of about 1 m annually (Bismuth et al. 2015a , in this
volume, pp. 89–98).
13.1.1 Water Uses and Water Abstractions
The different uses for Israel, the Palestine territories and Jordan are presented in
Fig. 13.2 . Agriculture is the most important water user in the region, even though its
contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) is rather low with 3.3 % for Jordan
(World Bank 2013a , p. 23) and 1.4 % for Israel ( 2012 GDP at current prices, Israel
Central Bureau of Statistics ( 2013 ). In 2008, the GDP for agriculture in the Palestinian
Territories was 4.8 % (Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute 2010 ).
Figure 13.3 shows the water abstraction for Israel, Jordan and the West Bank
by type of source. The data do not present abstractions from non-approved wells
in the West Bank and in Jordan. The Palestinian Water Authority does reveal
information neither on the use of desalinated water nor on wastewater. According
to the same sources, existing storm water harvesting structures (dams, cisterns
and agricultural ponds in the West Bank) have a bulk potential of around
5.45 × 10
6 m
3 (Palestinian Water Authority 2012 ). But as neither the year nor the
actual volumes of abstractions are pointed out, and the amount is quite negligible,
we did not consider this value.
We have selected the year 2007 in order to use a comparable data basis for Jordan
and Israel. The years 2007 and 2008 mark the climax of a sequence of drought years
and turning points in water policies, namely, the construction of major seawater
desalination facilities at the Mediterranean shore and key administrative and legal
reforms. Therefore, data from those years appear to provide a valid basis to evaluate
progress and failures. Changes in the use and abstraction of water in Israel from 2007
until now will be discussed in Bismuth et al. ( 2015b , in this volume, pp. 253–275).
C. Bismuth