202
on compliance and control and mechanisms for mediation in case of a confl ict
between the parties are not established or not in operation, especially after
the Al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000 (Dombrowsky 2003 ). The accords might be
suffi cient for short-term planning and communication, but for a longer perspective
and the establishment of a common coherent management strategy, they do not
provide adequate structures. Furthermore, the agreements are infl exible with regard
to the challenges of regional climate change impacts or to newly arising issues, as
they consolidate existing uses.
The agreements recognise only states as legitimate actors, which leads to centralisation and nationalisation of the water management. Both in Palestine and in
Israel, the discourse on water is focused on the development of resources seen as a
part of the nation-building effort (Trottier and Brooks 2013 ).
The nature of the relations between Israelis and Palestinians defi nes the way how
water management problems are addressed. The large power asymmetries between
the two parties do not only impede the development of intelligent solutions, but they
also prevent the Palestinians from developing their own objectives, based on necessities but also on the availability of natural water resources and the principles of
sustainability.
Shared water resources mean shared responsibilities and duties. With more water
from Israeli desalination plants, quantitative problems might be eased, but nothing
is gained to overcome existing power asymmetries or insuffi cient confl ict mitigation
instruments. Any measure which builds trust and mutual understanding is most
needed in that region. What is furthermore needed is a frank discussion about carrying capacities in the light of climate change and population growth and on the role
of agriculture.
Shared water resources mean furthermore that data on the water resources have
to be shared in a transparent and reliable way. That could be a fi rst step towards trust
building not only between the different countries but also in view of the citizens.
References
Bamya S, Becker N, Saaf EJ et al (2012) Towards a living Jordan River: a regional economic
benefi ts study on the rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River. Friends of the Earth Middle
East, Amman/Bethlehem/Tel Aviv
Baumgarten P (2010) Israel’s transboundary water disputes. J Land Res Environ Law
30:179–197
Becker N, Helgeson J, Katz DL (2014) Once there was a river: a benefi t-cost analysis of rehabilitation of the Jordan River. Reg Environ Chang 14:1303–1314. doi: 10.1007/s10113-013-0578-4
Bismuth C, Hoechstetter S, Bens O (2015a) Research in two cases studies: (1) Irrigation and land
use in the Fergana Valley and (2) Water management in the Lower Jordan Valley. In: Huettl RF,
Bens O, Bismuth C, Hoechstetter S (eds) Society water technology: a critical appraisal of
major water engineering projects. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 89–98
Open Access This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
Noncommercial License, which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
C. Bismuth
on compliance and control and mechanisms for mediation in case of a confl ict
between the parties are not established or not in operation, especially after
the Al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000 (Dombrowsky 2003 ). The accords might be
suffi cient for short-term planning and communication, but for a longer perspective
and the establishment of a common coherent management strategy, they do not
provide adequate structures. Furthermore, the agreements are infl exible with regard
to the challenges of regional climate change impacts or to newly arising issues, as
they consolidate existing uses.
The agreements recognise only states as legitimate actors, which leads to centralisation and nationalisation of the water management. Both in Palestine and in
Israel, the discourse on water is focused on the development of resources seen as a
part of the nation-building effort (Trottier and Brooks 2013 ).
The nature of the relations between Israelis and Palestinians defi nes the way how
water management problems are addressed. The large power asymmetries between
the two parties do not only impede the development of intelligent solutions, but they
also prevent the Palestinians from developing their own objectives, based on necessities but also on the availability of natural water resources and the principles of
sustainability.
Shared water resources mean shared responsibilities and duties. With more water
from Israeli desalination plants, quantitative problems might be eased, but nothing
is gained to overcome existing power asymmetries or insuffi cient confl ict mitigation
instruments. Any measure which builds trust and mutual understanding is most
needed in that region. What is furthermore needed is a frank discussion about carrying capacities in the light of climate change and population growth and on the role
of agriculture.
Shared water resources mean furthermore that data on the water resources have
to be shared in a transparent and reliable way. That could be a fi rst step towards trust
building not only between the different countries but also in view of the citizens.
References
Bamya S, Becker N, Saaf EJ et al (2012) Towards a living Jordan River: a regional economic
benefi ts study on the rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River. Friends of the Earth Middle
East, Amman/Bethlehem/Tel Aviv
Baumgarten P (2010) Israel’s transboundary water disputes. J Land Res Environ Law
30:179–197
Becker N, Helgeson J, Katz DL (2014) Once there was a river: a benefi t-cost analysis of rehabilitation of the Jordan River. Reg Environ Chang 14:1303–1314. doi: 10.1007/s10113-013-0578-4
Bismuth C, Hoechstetter S, Bens O (2015a) Research in two cases studies: (1) Irrigation and land
use in the Fergana Valley and (2) Water management in the Lower Jordan Valley. In: Huettl RF,
Bens O, Bismuth C, Hoechstetter S (eds) Society water technology: a critical appraisal of
major water engineering projects. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 89–98
Open Access This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
Noncommercial License, which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
C. Bismuth