250
H. Kupfersberger
tenn goals independent of the individual features of the goals. It is argued that
environmental sustainability is a prerequisite for any social and economic benefits.
Minimizing environmental and health risks represents an integral part within any
sustainability issue.
The aspects of environmental, social, and economic sustainability of water use
and supply in the Lower Jordan Valley are analyzed in more detail:
• Social. Considering the water resources and the future water demand, it seems
legitimate and necessary to postulate that fresh potable water will be limited
primarily to meeting the immediate humanitarian and social needs for drinking
water and water for tourist-related and industrial use. It is hypothesized that in a
global economy there must be superior ways to manage the scarce water resources
other than the agricultural sector using almost everything, largely ignoring
economic and environmental facts. In general, water management strategies
should produce benefits for the entire society and not only for parts of it. With
respect to increased domestic water consumption due to a better overall standard
of living, it should be noted that water-use patterns of industrialized countries do
not inevitably have to be imitated.
It is yet unresolved how a social plus economical plus environmental
sustainability can be reached. It is doubtful if such a comprehensive sustainable
water use is possible at all in the Lower Jordan Valley. This is mainly due to the
condition that, in particular in Palestine, agriculture cannot be totally given up at
this time, because there are only limited alternatives due to lack of other job
opportunities and lack of education and trained skills. Transfonnation into a nonagriculture-dominated society will take more than a generation, and might even
need more water in the near future. However, it is postulated that agriculture will
in the future be limited to whatever water will be available after satisfying the
human needs.
• Environmental. The goals of water management should be such that the
current environmental (i.e., water quality and quantity) conditions are at least
preserved or improved for future generations and that any deterioration is ruled
out. The payoff of environmental protection is that there will be prospects of
developing more tourism and that there will be a better quality of life for the local
population.
However, a variety of environmental concerns exist in the entire area. The
Jordan River has become saline and polluted because of a reduction of sweetwater flow, pollution by industrial wastewater and due to diversion of saline
springs into the river. This current condition limits the use of the Jordan River as a
resource. Moreover, the reduction of the Jordan River discharge has contributed to
the declining level of the Dead Sea. This again has complex environmental
implications, e.g., the concurrent decline of groundwater tables, and may affect
tourism development as well. The issue of salinity of the River Jordan will not be
solved in the foreseeable future. It will be virtually impossible to economically
restore the river to its freshwater standard because of the high salinity.
The use of mechanically treated wastewater for irrigation can degrade the
quality of the soil and the groundwater since the return flow to the aquifer may
contain contaminants (e.g., nitrates and chlorides). Due to the political situation
H. Kupfersberger
tenn goals independent of the individual features of the goals. It is argued that
environmental sustainability is a prerequisite for any social and economic benefits.
Minimizing environmental and health risks represents an integral part within any
sustainability issue.
The aspects of environmental, social, and economic sustainability of water use
and supply in the Lower Jordan Valley are analyzed in more detail:
• Social. Considering the water resources and the future water demand, it seems
legitimate and necessary to postulate that fresh potable water will be limited
primarily to meeting the immediate humanitarian and social needs for drinking
water and water for tourist-related and industrial use. It is hypothesized that in a
global economy there must be superior ways to manage the scarce water resources
other than the agricultural sector using almost everything, largely ignoring
economic and environmental facts. In general, water management strategies
should produce benefits for the entire society and not only for parts of it. With
respect to increased domestic water consumption due to a better overall standard
of living, it should be noted that water-use patterns of industrialized countries do
not inevitably have to be imitated.
It is yet unresolved how a social plus economical plus environmental
sustainability can be reached. It is doubtful if such a comprehensive sustainable
water use is possible at all in the Lower Jordan Valley. This is mainly due to the
condition that, in particular in Palestine, agriculture cannot be totally given up at
this time, because there are only limited alternatives due to lack of other job
opportunities and lack of education and trained skills. Transfonnation into a nonagriculture-dominated society will take more than a generation, and might even
need more water in the near future. However, it is postulated that agriculture will
in the future be limited to whatever water will be available after satisfying the
human needs.
• Environmental. The goals of water management should be such that the
current environmental (i.e., water quality and quantity) conditions are at least
preserved or improved for future generations and that any deterioration is ruled
out. The payoff of environmental protection is that there will be prospects of
developing more tourism and that there will be a better quality of life for the local
population.
However, a variety of environmental concerns exist in the entire area. The
Jordan River has become saline and polluted because of a reduction of sweetwater flow, pollution by industrial wastewater and due to diversion of saline
springs into the river. This current condition limits the use of the Jordan River as a
resource. Moreover, the reduction of the Jordan River discharge has contributed to
the declining level of the Dead Sea. This again has complex environmental
implications, e.g., the concurrent decline of groundwater tables, and may affect
tourism development as well. The issue of salinity of the River Jordan will not be
solved in the foreseeable future. It will be virtually impossible to economically
restore the river to its freshwater standard because of the high salinity.
The use of mechanically treated wastewater for irrigation can degrade the
quality of the soil and the groundwater since the return flow to the aquifer may
contain contaminants (e.g., nitrates and chlorides). Due to the political situation