252
H. Kupfersberger
The present water management system, and in particular the level of irrigated
agriculture in the Lower Jordan Valley are far from being sustainable. The local
water usage is much higher than locally available supplies. The soils are
deteriorating irreversibly. The River Jordan is far below its natural flow. The Dead
Sea is declining. Water resources are polluted, and most likely used above the safe
yields. The natural water demand of ecosystems is given no or only low
consideration for water allocation.
In reality, the only viable option to achieve some kind of sustainability with
respect to water management consists in reducing agricultural water consumption.
Such measures have to be accompanied by compensation for the farmers.
Incentives may be developed to generate alternative sources of income and food.
For example, Israel is planning subsidized retraining programs for the local
populations as a long-term social policy. Politically, reducing the influence of
farmers and large landowners (as water owners) and leaving the myth of food
security behind will be challenging tasks.
Any kind of action to achieve a more sustainable water management can be
classified into a short-term (immediate to less than 3 years), a mid-term (between
3 and 10 years) or a long-term (more than 10 years) implementation category.
Examples for short-term measures are the closure or regulation of dump sites, the
limitation of pumping rates, local rehabilitation actions, or the restriction of
fertilizer use (though nitrates which have already penetrated into the soil may be
detected in the groundwater over the next several years). Mid-term initiatives
include the upgrade of wastewater-treatment plants, the conversion of open
channels into pressurized pipes, the implementation of crop rotation patterns, or
improvements in irrigation techniques. Long-term projects comprise building
desalination plants, construction of additional reservoirs and treatment plants, or
the building of entire wastewater collection system. In general, the mid- and longterm measures need large available funds in order to be implemented.
It has to be reiterated that any realistic development scenario will naturally
depend on the peace situation. Palestine demands control of its water supply and
of its legitimate water rights. In this context, Palestine insists on taking over wells
currently used by Israeli settlers. Moreover, availability of water in the Lower
Jordan Valley will also be determined by the conditions within the other parts of
each country, as well as by future agreements with the riparian countries of Syria
and Lebanon. Thus, future water management strategies should absolutely foster
regional cooperation within the Jordan River Basin and highlight the potential
benefits to the respective political administrations.
5 Proposal for an Integrated Water Resources
Management Plan
In the following, a stepwise approach is presented of composing recommendations
for an integrated and sustainable water resources management plan for the Lower
H. Kupfersberger
The present water management system, and in particular the level of irrigated
agriculture in the Lower Jordan Valley are far from being sustainable. The local
water usage is much higher than locally available supplies. The soils are
deteriorating irreversibly. The River Jordan is far below its natural flow. The Dead
Sea is declining. Water resources are polluted, and most likely used above the safe
yields. The natural water demand of ecosystems is given no or only low
consideration for water allocation.
In reality, the only viable option to achieve some kind of sustainability with
respect to water management consists in reducing agricultural water consumption.
Such measures have to be accompanied by compensation for the farmers.
Incentives may be developed to generate alternative sources of income and food.
For example, Israel is planning subsidized retraining programs for the local
populations as a long-term social policy. Politically, reducing the influence of
farmers and large landowners (as water owners) and leaving the myth of food
security behind will be challenging tasks.
Any kind of action to achieve a more sustainable water management can be
classified into a short-term (immediate to less than 3 years), a mid-term (between
3 and 10 years) or a long-term (more than 10 years) implementation category.
Examples for short-term measures are the closure or regulation of dump sites, the
limitation of pumping rates, local rehabilitation actions, or the restriction of
fertilizer use (though nitrates which have already penetrated into the soil may be
detected in the groundwater over the next several years). Mid-term initiatives
include the upgrade of wastewater-treatment plants, the conversion of open
channels into pressurized pipes, the implementation of crop rotation patterns, or
improvements in irrigation techniques. Long-term projects comprise building
desalination plants, construction of additional reservoirs and treatment plants, or
the building of entire wastewater collection system. In general, the mid- and longterm measures need large available funds in order to be implemented.
It has to be reiterated that any realistic development scenario will naturally
depend on the peace situation. Palestine demands control of its water supply and
of its legitimate water rights. In this context, Palestine insists on taking over wells
currently used by Israeli settlers. Moreover, availability of water in the Lower
Jordan Valley will also be determined by the conditions within the other parts of
each country, as well as by future agreements with the riparian countries of Syria
and Lebanon. Thus, future water management strategies should absolutely foster
regional cooperation within the Jordan River Basin and highlight the potential
benefits to the respective political administrations.
5 Proposal for an Integrated Water Resources
Management Plan
In the following, a stepwise approach is presented of composing recommendations
for an integrated and sustainable water resources management plan for the Lower