223
14.6 Concluding Comments
The average supplies of natural water available on a sustainable fashion in the water
basin feeding the Dead Sea (comprising Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority)
will soon drop below 100 m
3 /year per person – the quantity deemed necessary for
basic human consumption. Upstream diversions have deprived the Dead Sea of
more than 90 % of its historical infl ow, leading to progressive decline of its water
level, which currently exceeds one metre per year on average. Stabilising the Dead
Sea at its current level requires increasing the infl ow by 700 to 800 × 10
6 m
3 /year,
while restoring historical levels requires above 1,100 × 10
6 m
3 /year. We addressed
four alternatives to stabilise or restore the Dead Sea: a large-scale Red Sea–Dead
Sea Project, examined by Coyne et Bellier’s ( 2014 ) feasibility study; two
Mediterranean Sea–Dead Sea Projects (examined in the study of alternatives to the
Red Sea–Dead Sea project); and an alternative based on recycled water and a mini
Red Sea–Dead Sea Project (also examined in the abovementioned study of alternatives). We evaluate the costs associated with each alternative and offered a mechanism to pay for their implementation, based on a surcharge levied on all upstream
diversions (including water consumed by the potash industries).
The Southern Mediterranean Project was found to be the most economical, in
that it is a profi table project (the hydroelectricity profi ts more than compensate for
the infrastructure and operating costs), thus requires no surcharge on upstream
diversions. The full-scale Red Sea–Dead Sea Project was found to be the most
expensive one, and fi nancing it would require a surcharge of about USD 0.1/m
3 on
all upstream diversions (including the water consumption by the potash industries).
Both projects are capable of restoring the Dead Sea level to its historical state.
However, they should be implemented gradually, and discharge fl ows above
400 × 10
6 m
3
/year are currently considered risky in terms of possible damages due to
stratifi cation, gypsum crystallisation or algae blooms (TAHAL and GSI 2011 ).
The Northern Mediterranean Project involves desalination at the coastline, conveyance to Naharayim–Bakura, while exploiting the elevation difference to generate hydroelectricity and letting the water fl ow to the Dead Sea along the lower
Jordan River route. The profi t from the pumped energy plant covers the conveyance
cost from Atlit to Naharayim–Bakura. A by-product of this alternative is a partial
restoration of the lower Jordan River, and the ensuing benefi t is suffi cient to cover
all or most of the desalination cost. The costs of the stabilisation of the Dead Sea
level are therefore negligible. However, desalinating 700–800 × 10
6 m
3 /year (the
minimal fl ow needed to stabilise the Dead Sea at its current level) along the northern
Mediterranean coast may not be feasible, implying that this alternative should be
combined with other alternatives.
The fourth alternative considered was built on the evolution of the following
three ongoing processes: population growth, increased supply of potable water
by desalination and reuse of domestic water after appropriate treatment. Over
time (3–4 decades), these processes will give rise to a regional supply of recycled
water above 2,000 × 10
6 m
3 /year, which will be available for reuse in irrigation
14 Reclaiming the Dead Sea: Alternatives for Action
14.6 Concluding Comments
The average supplies of natural water available on a sustainable fashion in the water
basin feeding the Dead Sea (comprising Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority)
will soon drop below 100 m
3 /year per person – the quantity deemed necessary for
basic human consumption. Upstream diversions have deprived the Dead Sea of
more than 90 % of its historical infl ow, leading to progressive decline of its water
level, which currently exceeds one metre per year on average. Stabilising the Dead
Sea at its current level requires increasing the infl ow by 700 to 800 × 10
6 m
3 /year,
while restoring historical levels requires above 1,100 × 10
6 m
3 /year. We addressed
four alternatives to stabilise or restore the Dead Sea: a large-scale Red Sea–Dead
Sea Project, examined by Coyne et Bellier’s ( 2014 ) feasibility study; two
Mediterranean Sea–Dead Sea Projects (examined in the study of alternatives to the
Red Sea–Dead Sea project); and an alternative based on recycled water and a mini
Red Sea–Dead Sea Project (also examined in the abovementioned study of alternatives). We evaluate the costs associated with each alternative and offered a mechanism to pay for their implementation, based on a surcharge levied on all upstream
diversions (including water consumed by the potash industries).
The Southern Mediterranean Project was found to be the most economical, in
that it is a profi table project (the hydroelectricity profi ts more than compensate for
the infrastructure and operating costs), thus requires no surcharge on upstream
diversions. The full-scale Red Sea–Dead Sea Project was found to be the most
expensive one, and fi nancing it would require a surcharge of about USD 0.1/m
3 on
all upstream diversions (including the water consumption by the potash industries).
Both projects are capable of restoring the Dead Sea level to its historical state.
However, they should be implemented gradually, and discharge fl ows above
400 × 10
6 m
3
/year are currently considered risky in terms of possible damages due to
stratifi cation, gypsum crystallisation or algae blooms (TAHAL and GSI 2011 ).
The Northern Mediterranean Project involves desalination at the coastline, conveyance to Naharayim–Bakura, while exploiting the elevation difference to generate hydroelectricity and letting the water fl ow to the Dead Sea along the lower
Jordan River route. The profi t from the pumped energy plant covers the conveyance
cost from Atlit to Naharayim–Bakura. A by-product of this alternative is a partial
restoration of the lower Jordan River, and the ensuing benefi t is suffi cient to cover
all or most of the desalination cost. The costs of the stabilisation of the Dead Sea
level are therefore negligible. However, desalinating 700–800 × 10
6 m
3 /year (the
minimal fl ow needed to stabilise the Dead Sea at its current level) along the northern
Mediterranean coast may not be feasible, implying that this alternative should be
combined with other alternatives.
The fourth alternative considered was built on the evolution of the following
three ongoing processes: population growth, increased supply of potable water
by desalination and reuse of domestic water after appropriate treatment. Over
time (3–4 decades), these processes will give rise to a regional supply of recycled
water above 2,000 × 10
6 m
3 /year, which will be available for reuse in irrigation
14 Reclaiming the Dead Sea: Alternatives for Action