Introducing Sustainability Issues to the Water Management
247
this general analysis in the next paragraphs a more detailed look at the individual
situation of the three national entities will be given.
Israel has a centralized water management, i.e., the Water Commissioner
manages and allocates water to consumers. All water and wastewater according to
Israel law is property of the government. It can be anticipated that any long-term
government reallocation policy will also be carried out in the Israel region of the
Lower Jordan Valley. As a result of the severe drought in the year 2000, the Israel
government has reduced allocation of water to agriculture by 50%, with a formula
for compensation.
The overall trend of water management in Israel is a reduction of water
allocation for use in agriculture and a stabilization of the water use in the
municipal sector. However, due to the anticipated strong population growth and
increasing industrial and tourism-related water needs, the whole of Israel will be
almost without reserves of natural freshwater for agriculture other than the
recycling and reuse of treated wastewater. This has resulted in a rapid increase in
construction of wastewater recycling projects, to the extent that nationwide by
2000 about 70% (up from 55% in 1990) of treated wastewater is currently being
recycled. Still, it seems apparent that it will be difficult for Israel under these
conditions to further share its water resources with its riparian neighbors.
The agricultural water demand in the Palestinian area is predicted to more than
double due to the still valid assumption that all available land will be cultivated.
However, people forecasted to work in industry and service will outnumber
agricultural employees by 2020. This development has to be seen against the
background of a tremendous increase in the Palestinian population due to a high
birth rate and possibly returning refugees. Additionally, living standards of the
Palestinians are predicted to rise, and thus will lead to higher municipal water use.
In order to be able to meet their increased water demand, the Palestinian
people will need to have a share of good-quality Jordan River water. Yet, there
exists a great deal of uncertainty about the future magnitude, distribution, and
quality of the River Jordan discharge. Comparing all plans of the riparians for
additional water withdrawal from the Rivers Jordan and Yarmouk with the longterm average and the standard deviation of the River Jordan discharge at the King
Hussein Bridge, it becomes clear that the combined extractions will not be
guaranteed at all times. Additionally, there would be more negative impacts on the
already damaged Dead Sea. Thus, Palestine will have to negotiate its stake in the
Jordan River water with the riparians on the entire Jordan River Basin, including
Jordan, Israel, and Syria. Treated Palestinian municipal wastewater, which can be
reused for irrigation in agriculture, has not enough potential in the near future to
meaningfully ease the water shortage. Nevertheless, there may well be proposals
for transfers of recycled wastewater from Israel to help support Palestinian
agriculture in the Lower Jordan Valley.
In the Jordanian part of the project area the Jordan Valley Authority is
responsible for all major surface water construction and distribution. The general
water demand and supply situation is characterized by the availability of Yarmouk
water as the main source and the relation to the densely populated area of Amman.
Potable water will be conveyed out of the Lower Jordan Valley to Amman and
247
this general analysis in the next paragraphs a more detailed look at the individual
situation of the three national entities will be given.
Israel has a centralized water management, i.e., the Water Commissioner
manages and allocates water to consumers. All water and wastewater according to
Israel law is property of the government. It can be anticipated that any long-term
government reallocation policy will also be carried out in the Israel region of the
Lower Jordan Valley. As a result of the severe drought in the year 2000, the Israel
government has reduced allocation of water to agriculture by 50%, with a formula
for compensation.
The overall trend of water management in Israel is a reduction of water
allocation for use in agriculture and a stabilization of the water use in the
municipal sector. However, due to the anticipated strong population growth and
increasing industrial and tourism-related water needs, the whole of Israel will be
almost without reserves of natural freshwater for agriculture other than the
recycling and reuse of treated wastewater. This has resulted in a rapid increase in
construction of wastewater recycling projects, to the extent that nationwide by
2000 about 70% (up from 55% in 1990) of treated wastewater is currently being
recycled. Still, it seems apparent that it will be difficult for Israel under these
conditions to further share its water resources with its riparian neighbors.
The agricultural water demand in the Palestinian area is predicted to more than
double due to the still valid assumption that all available land will be cultivated.
However, people forecasted to work in industry and service will outnumber
agricultural employees by 2020. This development has to be seen against the
background of a tremendous increase in the Palestinian population due to a high
birth rate and possibly returning refugees. Additionally, living standards of the
Palestinians are predicted to rise, and thus will lead to higher municipal water use.
In order to be able to meet their increased water demand, the Palestinian
people will need to have a share of good-quality Jordan River water. Yet, there
exists a great deal of uncertainty about the future magnitude, distribution, and
quality of the River Jordan discharge. Comparing all plans of the riparians for
additional water withdrawal from the Rivers Jordan and Yarmouk with the longterm average and the standard deviation of the River Jordan discharge at the King
Hussein Bridge, it becomes clear that the combined extractions will not be
guaranteed at all times. Additionally, there would be more negative impacts on the
already damaged Dead Sea. Thus, Palestine will have to negotiate its stake in the
Jordan River water with the riparians on the entire Jordan River Basin, including
Jordan, Israel, and Syria. Treated Palestinian municipal wastewater, which can be
reused for irrigation in agriculture, has not enough potential in the near future to
meaningfully ease the water shortage. Nevertheless, there may well be proposals
for transfers of recycled wastewater from Israel to help support Palestinian
agriculture in the Lower Jordan Valley.
In the Jordanian part of the project area the Jordan Valley Authority is
responsible for all major surface water construction and distribution. The general
water demand and supply situation is characterized by the availability of Yarmouk
water as the main source and the relation to the densely populated area of Amman.
Potable water will be conveyed out of the Lower Jordan Valley to Amman and