Friends of the Earth Middle East
Challenges and Opportunities associated with the Sustainable
Development of the Lower Jordan River Valley
Haddaden N.H.M.*, Talozi S .A. T.1
1
Nancy Haddaden ([email protected]) and Samer Talozi ([email protected])
*Corresponding Author
Friends of the Earth-Middle East (FoEME)
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.foeme.org
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION………………… ..................................................................................................... 3
1.1 HISTORICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING OF THE LOWER JORDAN RIVER VALLEY ............................. 4
1.2 GEOPOLITICAL SETTING OF THE LOWER JORDAN RIVER ................................................................... 5
1.3 MASTER PLAN OBJECTIVE & PURPOSE ............................................................................................ 5
2. METHODS OF ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................... 6
2.1 VISION FOR THE LOWER JORDAN RIVER .......................................................................................... 6
2.2 CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATING SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND GOVERNANCE ASPECTS ................................ 9
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................... 11
4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................. 18
5. REFERENCES:………….. .............................................................................................................. 19
List of Tables
Table 1: Summary Outcome of the First Consultation Meeting ............................................................ 7
Table 2 Overview of scores per criteria, used for the evaluation of inteventions .................................. 8
Table 3: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Agriculture Improvement) ...................... 11
Table 4: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Water Management).............................. 13
Table 5: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Pollution Control) ................................... 14
Table 6: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Ecological Restoration) ......................... 15
Table 7: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Tourism and Cultural Heritage
Development) ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Table 8: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Urban and Infrastructure Development) 16
Table9 : List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (International Cooperation) ..................... 16
List of Abbreviations
EU: European Union
FoEME: Friends of the Earth Middle East
GRV: Great Rift Valley
GNF: Global Nature Fund
GWN: Good Water Neighbors
INGO: International Non-governmental Organization
JR: Jordan River
JV: Jordan Valley
JVA: Jordan Valley Authority
LJR: Lower Jordan River
LJRB: Lower Jordan River Basin
LJRV: Lower Jordan River Valley
MCA: Multi-Criteria Analysis
MWI: Ministry of Water and Irrigation
NGO: Non-governmental Organization
SIWI: Stockholm International Water Institute
SWIM: Sustainable Water Integrated Management
WAJ: Water Authority of Jordan
WUA: Water User Association
1
Abstract:
FoEME’s vision is to rehabilitate the LJR such that it is accessible to the public.
Restoring the historical flow of the river will enable it to become a center of a healthy
eco-system, a regional symbol of peace, and a source of prosperity for Palestinian,
Jordanian and Israeli inhabitants. In order to achieve this vision, FoEME
collaborated with its international partners; SIWI and GNF, in order to create a
regional NGO master plan for the LJR by developing and harmonizing national
master plans into a single cohesive trans-boundary master plan that could be
advanced in full or in part by the decision makers – both unilaterally at the national
and regional levels.
Keywords: regional cooperation, rehabilitation of the LJR, sustainable development,
economic opportunities, advocacy, feasible interventions
2
1. Introduction
The political ramifications in the Middle East region have led to an increased tension
between countries sharing water resources, intensified difficulties for governments
to provide for their countries’ needs thus resulting in internal instability, and
exacerbated marginal living conditions due to climate change acting as a threat
multiplier for human security. Given the reality of the geopolitical conditions; shared
ecosystems become hostage to the conflict. A major shared water resource
between Jordan, Israel and Palestine2 is the Lower Jordan River (LJR) – a major
tributary naturally aimed at flowing into the Dead Sea.
The Lower Jordan River3 is situated at the lowest point on earth as well as in one of
the narrowest parts of the Great Rift Valley (GRV) linking Africa and the Fertile
Crescent. Albeit the river is distinguished with a unique natural and cultural heritage
value; its existence is threatened by diversion, pollution, and inappropriate
development. Out of the 1.3 billion cubic meters of water that historically flowed
down the LJR, over 98% has been diverted by the national authorities of Israel,
Syria, and Jordan (Gafny et. al., 2010). From Lake Tiberias, the LJR meanders for
some 200 km before flowing into the Dead Sea. Sites of natural and cultural
heritage are found on both sides of the valley and could well justify the valley being
described as a cultural landscape of outstanding universal value under the
UNESCO World Heritage Convention.
As the Dead Sea's primary fresh water source; the diversion of the LJR is the main
reason that the Dead Sea water level is dropping by 1.2 meter every year with
drastic consequences for its environment, its surrounding communities and their
economies (Gafny et. al., 2010). Further, this disastrous diversion of the river
resulted in the demise of the Dead Sea and the ensuing loss of 1/3 of its surface
area since the 1930’s in response to the man-made tragedy of the LJR riparians4
(i.e. Israel, Jordan and Palestine).
Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) is a unique organization at the forefront
of the environmental peacemaking movement. As a tri-lateral organization that
brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists; our primary
objective is the promotion of cooperative efforts to protect our shared environmental
heritage. As part of FoEME's ongoing efforts to rehabilitate the LRJ, several studies
have been conducted to bring attention for the need to rehabilitate, promote
prosperity and help bring peace to the LJR valley. The latest study emphasized
economic benefits associated with rehabilitating the LJR. In this regard, FoEME
started a new partnership that links it with the Stockholm International Water
Institute (SIWI), and the Global Nature Fund (GNF). In 2012, the consortium jointly
launched the SWIM-JR5 Project which produced plans for "FoEME Master Plan: A
Vision for the Lower Jordan River". This Master Plan is the first of its kind to reflect a
2
Despite the fact that Palestine is a riparian of the river, the Palestinian Authority is not receiving its fair share of water from
the river due to the political situation and the absence of a two-state solution.
3
The Jordan River is divided into two parts geographically – the upper Jordan River (JR) which initially flows into Lake
Tiberias and the Lower Jordan River (LJR) which flows from Lake Tiberias through the Jordan Valley and into the Dead Sea.
As FoEME’s efforts are focused on rehabilitating the LJR; this paper will use this terminology and any mentioning of the
Jordan River implies the LJR.
4The major riparians of the JR are Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and Palestine. However, as this paper focuses on the LJR –
4
this makes only 3 main riparians, namely Israel, Jordan and Palestine
5
Sustainable Water Integrated Management for the Jordan River
3
trans-boundary integrated study for the LJR. Conservation of biodiversity and
sustainable management of ecosystem services is only one of FoEME’s principles
forming the basis of this Master Plan.
1.1 Historical & Environmental Setting of the Lower Jordan River
Valley
Historically, the Lower Jordan River valley served as a vibrant point where various
nations crossed from East to West and from North to South. The Jeser Al Majama /
Gesher site serves as a unique example of the Valley's historical crossing point with
equal cultural importance to both countries; Jordan and Israel. A Bridge, built over
2000 years ago, was erected by Roman rulers connecting three of the Decapolis
cities of that period; Beit Shean/Scythopolis (today in Israel), Pella and Gadara/Um
Qais (today in Jordan). A 14th century Khan (inn) from the Mamluk period stands at
the site, and represents a place where merchants and travelers passing on their
way used to cross the river, stopping for a place to rest and feed their animals.
During the Ottoman Empire period a railway bridge was built, connecting the
Mediterranean port of Haifa with Damascus. In the 1920s, the British Mandate
authorities added a third bridge, for motor vehicles, linking the area with Tiberias on
the Sea of Galilee and Damascus in Syria6.
Moreover, the LJR Valley can be characterized as follows:








The lowest river in the world flowing through some of the narrowest areas of
the Great Rift Valley to the lowest point on earth – the Dead Sea.
An important wetland habitat sustaining diverse vegetation and fauna.
A flyway for over 500 million migratory birds twice each year.
The pathway of early human migration and sites of early human settlement.
The site of wild wheat’s first cultivation.
Ubiquitous in the Hebrew Bible, New Testament and in Islamic sources
associating the River to the prophets Moses and Elijah, the Companions of
the Prophet Mohammed, and site of the baptism of Christ. The lush northern
area of the river valley is known as the Gate to the Garden of Eden.
Numerous religious references and historical artifacts are recognized by
followers of the three Abrahamic religions.
The site of momentous battles fought in the valley floor and great Roman
cities and medieval castles of the Crusader period.
Numerous sites located in the LJR Valley have been included on the national
tentative lists for UNESCO World Heritage nomination including: Beit Shean,
Degania and Nahalal, the prehistoric sites of Ubadiyya and Sha'ar Hagolan,
the Crusader Fortresses,Abila City, Gedara, Pella, and the Bethany Beyond
the Jordan Baptismal site in Jordan; and Ancient Jericho and El Bariyah: and
wilderness with monasteries in Palestine.
However, today and due to the Arab-Israeli conflict the LJR Valley is declared as a
military point where it not only constitutes the natural border between the two states;
but any development within this zone is hindered due to the political setting of the
site. The place which was once a crossing point for various generations is blocked
6
http://foeme.org/www/?module=projects&record_id=123
4
today and forms a restricted obstacle for development. Further illustration on the
valley’s historical and current situation is addressed in the following section.
1.2 Geopolitical Setting of the Lower Jordan River
The Peace Treaty between the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan signed in 1994 specifically calls on the parties to cooperate for the benefit of
the river through:
 Ecological rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River
 Establishment of nature reserves and protected areas
 Trans-boundary tourism initiatives
Even though two decades have passed since the treaty was signed, the state of the
LJR is far from being rehabilitated. In FoEME's Environmental Flows Report on
the Rehabilitation of the LJR, a regional rehabilitation goal was identified (Gafny et.
al., 2010). This goal aims to return 400-600 million cubic meters of water to the LJR
at a quality not exceeding a salinity level of 750 parts per million and no more than
25% of the base flow made up of high quality effluents and one minor flood
annually. This strategy would remove most of the disturbances, restore the river's
structure and function, allow biodiversity to recover and achieve a fair to high
ecosystem integrity and health.
Furthermore, allocation estimates were identified for each country to meet the
regional rehabilitation goal. Two criteria were utilized to estimate the allocations
needed by country to meet the rehabilitation goal. These are: amount diverted by
each country and socio-economic considerations. FoEME concluded that Israel
should be responsible for initially returning 220 mcm (54% of 400) to the LJR, Syria
– 100 mcm (24%); Jordan – 90 mcm (22%) and that Palestine would not be asked
to contribute water rather it needs to receive an equitable share of Jordan River
waters (Gafny et. al., 2010).
1.3 Master Plan Objective & Purpose
The overall objective of FOEME’s study is to create a regional Non-governmental
Organization (NGO) master plan for the LJR by developing and harmonizing
national master plans into a single cohesive trans-boundary master plan that could
be advanced in full or in part by the decision makers – both unilaterally at the
national level and/or at the regional level.
The research results and publication of the national and regional FoEME NGO
Master Plans for the LJR will be used by the consortium partners as an advocacy
tool with national stakeholders, the European Union (EU) and various actors of the
international community to increase political will for the adoption in full or in part of
the study's recommendations by the national authorities in the region.
5
2. Methods of Analysis
Throughout history, the Jordan Valley (JV) was prone to the control of a single
political regime. Only after the Israeli-Arab war in 1948, the Jordan Valley started
experiencing a bi-lateral “East-West” control between Jordan and Israel
respectively. Since then, each development measure taken on either side of the
river neglected the eco-hydrological setting of the area. Consequently, major
tributaries of the LJR were diverted for domestic and agricultural use; hence,
deteriorating the river’s ecological regime whereby the riparians competed in
depleting this precious water resource.
In 1994 and upon signing of the Peace Treaty between Jordan and Israel;
opportunities for a more-holistic management approach were realized. The Treaty
created the platform for joint development in the JV; however, both governments
were slow to respond. Instead, priorities were focused on water allocation and
accurate division of water shares. In response to this; FoEME realized the need for
an alternative approach to the management and development of the JV and have
embarked on a number of initiatives for that purpose. “The Good Water Neighbors”
(GWN) Project is one vital initiative which utilizes an approach of raising awareness
and promoting cooperation around the shared water problems of Palestinians,
Jordanians, and Israelis. Identifying cross border communities and employing their
mutual dependence on shared water resources is the basis of the GWN
methodology which intends to develop dialogue and cooperation over sustainable
water management issues. The project targets youth, adults and mayors, to ensure
buy-in from the community to the government levels (Harari et. al., 2008).
2.1 Vision for the Lower Jordan River
FoEME’s vision for the Lower Jordan Valley can be summarized as follows:
"The Lower Jordan River is Rehabilitated and Accessible to the Public: The center
of a healthy eco-system, a regional symbol of peace, and source of prosperity for
Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli inhabitants.”
The FoEME Master Plan for the LJR will express the spirit of this vision through the
following principles:
 Water will be returned to the river in a quality and quantity as required by
nature and the surrounding landscape.
 The river’s water resources will be shared equitably.
 The river area will be accessible to residents and visitors alike, while
maintaining the ecological balance with nature within its carrying capacity.
 Security needs relevant to a border area are recognized.
 International and joint economic projects will be encouraged along the river
valley. A shift to forms of high employment, high value and highly waterefficient sustainable agriculture and sustainable tourism will be a major factor
in development.
 Conservation of biodiversity and sustainable management of ecosystem
services are of underlying concern.
6
The current exertion presented in this paper is the latest example of work carried on
by FoEME to establish an NGO Master Plan for the Jordan Valley. The methodology
of this work is based on FoEME's vision for the JV and the needs identified by the
different communities living on both sides of the valley.
In this section, the vision for the JV is presented as stipulated by FoEME. Moreover,
the results of two stakeholder consultation meetings held throughout the course of
this study (as of March and June, 2014) are presented.
The first stakeholder consultation meeting explored the different challenges and
opportunities in face of development in the JV. Stakeholders who participated in this
meeting comprised of government officials, non-governmental organizations,
communities, members of water user associations and farmers.
Amman Work Shop on 17 March 2014
The overall objective of the meeting was to identify key problems and solutions for
achieving sustainable water management and economic development for the
Jordanian part of the Lower Jordan River Basin (LJRB). These are illustrated in
Table 1 below.
Table 1: Summary Outcome of the First Consultation Meeting
Problems Identified
International Water Treaties
Lack of regional monitoring
Regional Management
Finance
Lack of Waste Management
Lack of wastewater sewerage and
treatment, including olive oil wastewater
Lack of urban planning; rule of law; weak
government services and capacities
Agriculture water saving, and economic
efficiencies
Increase public health situation
Pollution Control
Climate Change
Awareness raising
JVA data update
Solutions
Long term: International Jordan Basin Committee including all
riparian states
Short Term: Joint Lower Jordan Rehabilitation Committee Israel,
Jordan, Palestine
Review Israeli – Jordanian water agreements taking into account
increased water stress in Jordan (refugees); water division based on
percentages instead of fixes flows (proportional distribution of water)
Economic Development Initiative in Jordan valley (Jordan) to
increase living standards and income levels
Sanitary landfill; reuse and recycling / composting pilots; awareness
raising; regional knowledge transfer (composting; digestions etc);
exchange of regional experiences (including Israel); polluter pays
principles
Sanitation Master Planning; Construction of sewer networks; 2
centralized ww treatment plants; recentralized O&M; fee collection
Short term: additional tanker trucks to empty cesspits; improving /
expanding number of cesspits
Improve urban and environmental planning capacities, enforcement
(penalties and incentives; and strengthening local governance
capabilities; better coordination between JVA, MoA and local
municipalities
Increase water use efficiencies through expansion of drip irrigation
and use of green houses; access to (micro) credits for small farmers
for long term investments; introduction of cash crops, such as palm
dates or almonds; strengthening post-harvest and marketing
capacities of (small) farmers; strengthening water user associations;
strengthening extension services
Improvement of cesspits; increase frequencies and capacities for
emptying cesspits; improvement of SWM
Environmental monitoring; including water, waste, air quality
Introduction of Climate change resistant crops, such as Palm dates
Awareness raising of Valley population on issues of water demand
management and environmental protection
JVA authority will provide team with update on some water and
socio-economic data
7
WEAP
Team will also coordinate with MoWI (Ali Subah) through JVA, on
WEAP
The second stakeholder consultation meeting presented a number of proposed
interventions to tackle the challenges and acquire the benefits of the opportunities,
which were highlighted in the first stakeholder consultation meeting. In this regard,
the stakeholders were guided by a facilitator to evaluate the different interventions
by scoring each of them with a predefined set of evaluation criteria (i.e. multi-criteria
analysis (MCA)). An overview of the criteria which have been used in the evaluation
of each intervention is presented hereunder. Further, an overview of scores
allocated per criteria is presented in Table 2 (Talozi et. al., 2014).
A. Good economic status:
1. Agricultural water availability
2. Industrial water availability (including food processing)
3. Socio-economic impacts (community amenities, tourism opportunities, village
disruption, religious considerations, historic/archaeological);
B. Good human status:
4. Access to drinking water and sanitation
5. Vector-borne diseases and other health impacts
C. Good environmental status:
6. Habitat disturbance (aquatic, riparian, upland);
7. Water quality and quantity impacts;
D. Planning and Implementation:
8. Technical considerations (e.g. ease of implementation, redundancy and
robustness of the solution, flexibility to changing conditions, durability);
9. Compatibility to other plans / does it help achieve or impact national goals,
etc.);
10. Investment costs
11. Political considerations (do the solutions enjoy political support or opposition
etc.);
Table 2 Overview of scores per criteria, used for the evaluation of inteventions
++
+
0
-
--
1. Agricultural water
availability
Highly
positive
impact
Positive
impact
Neutral
Negative
impact
Highly
negative
impact(s)
2. Industrial water
availability (including food
processing)
Highly
positive
impact
Positive
impact
Neutral
Negative
impact
Highly
negative
impact(s)
3. Socio-economic impacts:
community amenities,
tourism opportunities,
village disruption, religious
considerations,
historic/archaeological
Highly
positive
impact
Positive
impact
Neutral
Negative
impact
Highly
negative
impact(s)
?
Unknown /
further
study
required
Unknown /
further
study
required
Unknown /
further
study
required
8
4. Access to drinking water
and sanitation
Highly
positive
impact
Positive
impact
Neutral
Negative
impact
Highly
negative
impact(s)
5. Vector-borne diseases
and other health impacts
Highly
positive
impact
Positive
impact
Neutral
Negative
impact
Highly
negative
impact(s)
6. Habitat disturbance
(aquatic, riparian, upland)
Highly
positive
impact
Positive
impact
No
disturban
ce
Negative
impact
Highly
negative
impact(s)
7. Water quality and
quantity impacts
Highly
positive
impact
Positive
impact
Neutral
Negative
impact
Highly
negative
impact(s)
8. Technical considerations
(e.g. ease of
implementation,
redundancy and
robustness of the solution,
flexibility to changing
conditions, durability)
9. Compatibility to other
plans / does it help
achieve or impact national
goals, etc.);
10. Estimated (investment)
costs
Highly
appropriate
or feasible
in technical
terms
Appropri
ate
Neutral
Medium
inappropri
ate
Highly
inappropriat
e or not
feasible in
technical
terms
Highly
positive
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Highly
negative
Extreme low
costs (≤ 0.5
mil. Euro's)
Neutral (
2.0 - 5.0
mil.
Euro's)
High costs
( 5.0 - 10.0
mil.
Euro's)
Extreme
high costs
(≥ 10.0 mil.
Euro's)
11. Political considerations
Strong
political
support
++
Low
costs
(0.5 - 2.0
mil.
Euro's)
Some
political
support
+
Neutral
Some
opposition
Strong
opposition
0
-
--
Unknown /
further
study
required
Unknown /
further
study
required
Unknown /
further
study
required
Unknown /
further
study
required
Unknown /
further
study
required
Unknown /
further
study
required
Unknown /
further
study
required
Unknown
?
2.2 Challenges of Integrating Socio-economic and Governance
Aspects
As discussed in previous sections, trade constituted a vibrant activity for the
communities who once lived in the valley. Furthermore, the unique agreement
reached in 1927 between Pinchas Rutenberg - a Russian immigrant and founder of
the Palestine Electric Company - and His Majesty King Abdullah I of Jordan, to build
the company's main hydroelectric power station resulted in a man-made island
which harnessed the flow of the Yarmouk and Jordan rivers to generate electricity
through the construction of a series of canals and dams. This hydroelectric power
plant ended up supplying electricity on both sides of the river by 1932; embracing a
major source of energy in the valley.
At that time, agriculture formed only part of the whole fabric of the society. Whereas
today, the focus of activities in the Valley is mainly on agriculture which might have
been adequate at some point, but can no longer be the case essentially due to the
multiple stresses on water demand arising from various factors such as the rapid
population growth especially with the continuous flow of refugees, and the ensuing
depletion of natural resources mainly water resources. Therefore, the focus must be
9
alternated into a more integrated approach in regards to the development of the
Jordan Valley.
In the Climate Change, Conflict and Security Consultation Meeting which was held
in Amman on August 17th, 2014 and led by FOEME, International Alert & adelphi;
the experts in the session stated that Jordan needs to scrutinize what agricultural
goods are being exported, as this often is a cheap way of exporting water out of the
country. Equally, Jordan imports more than 70 per cent of its food, and so there is
also a need to look at how water is used more effectively to reduce food imports.
Better information and knowledge of which markets can be opened for which
products produced in Jordan would be beneficial. If farmers are to be encouraged to
grow crops that are less water-intensive, it is not enough to issue directives to grow
certain types of crops to save water, but rather it is more useful and effective if
farmers encouraged to grow different crops are connected to markets, where those
particular agricultural products have export potential or can be sold domestically i.e.
applying a seed to market approach. Questions raised in this regard “Does the
government incentivize certain crops over others? Is there an agricultural policy that
recommends certain crops for water shortages?” Though on the latter, there is some
discouragement on the part of the government of inefficient crops, but this is hard to
enforce.
In addition to sustainable agriculture; ecotourism and other non-agriculture related
activities must be introduced into the valley. Obviously, as the economic activities
are diversified, the impact of such activities on water demand and how it would be
adapted to the local culture must be monitored. Moreover, as Jordan faces a double
scarcity dilemma, not just of water but also of energy, with the latter having
implications for pumping water contributing to an additional challenge to the
government already faced with water pressures. There is need for more cooperation
between countries in the region on water and energy, which FOEME is advocating
for. For instance, Israel supplying more water, given its strides in desalinization;
Jordan producing solar or wind energy and cooperating between the countries on
shared resources. Political will and a fear of dependence however, remains a
challenge. On cooperation, there is also a need to look at and renegotiate water
agreements between the two countries, as Jordan’s water agreement with Israel
dates back to 1994.
Many Jordanians don’t believe that the country is experiencing climate change; they
believe the weather patterns to be part of a natural cycle. However, the perceptions
are mismatched with reality as climate change is happening regardless. The JV will
likely suffer less under the impacts of climate change, as it is gradually relying more
on treated wastewater. The Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) has done a good job at
laying the infrastructure for this, with the establishment of the Water User
Association Committees with the community-ownership attribute giving it the key to
successful water management. This could potentially be replicated in the highlands
and other parts of Jordan.
Conversely, the Government needs to have better internal coordination. The
Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) is one of the few government agencies that
are functioning properly. There is a need for a higher council that coordinates the
various policies and strategies of the MWI, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of
11
Environment, and Ministry of Transport, especially on issues that are cross-cutting
such as the water-food-energy nexus. A common objective between the government
agencies is lacking. Better coordination is also needed between donors and the
Jordanian government over priorities and between the government, International
Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs), local NGOS and communities to ensure
a health balance between community-driven and expert-driven decision making.
3. Results and Discussion
The previous section addressed the challenges which the Jordanian government
faces in implementing its existing national policies or integrating new initiatives to
balance the increased demand on water among the different sectors. FOEME’s
efforts in the past 2 years have resulted in a study consisting of a matrix of
interventions that responds to water, agriculture, environment and other elements of
the JV. This is referred to as “The Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions” which
upon adoption by the Jordanian Government will be known as the National Master
Plan and essentially form part of the future Regional Master Plan for the JV. A total
of 24 Interventions have been developed in the different areas of Agriculture
Improvement, Water Management, Pollution Control, Ecological Restoration,
Tourism and Cultural Heritage Development, Urban and Infrastructure Development
and International Cooperation. For the purpose of this paper, a number of selected
interventions will be presented from each area of these developmental aspects.
Tables 3 through 8 below summarize samples of the finalized interventions until this
date. These interventions have been elaborated by the Consultant’s Team in cooperation with FoEME and with representatives of authorities and key stakeholders
as of June 20147.
Table 3: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Agriculture Improvement)
Name: A02 JOR – Jordan Valley
Extension Services Improvement
Project
Location: North, Middle and South
LJV
Objectives:
The aim is to increase the quality of extension
services to the farmers in the LJRB, and link these
services to the existing 26 WUAs in the basin
Type of Intervention: Agriculture
Improvement
Map:
7
Source: Jordanian NGO Master Plan for the Lower Jordan River, (FOEME, SIWI, GNF and EU SWIMP) - dated 28 June
2014.
11
Intervention:
(1) Assessment and analysis of current extension
services and related flaws, based on field visits
and interviews
(2) provision of improved extension services to
better manage and monitor water use and
distribution, and reduce energy consumption
(ref. to EU AgriClimate Change project)
(3) a training center in the Jordan Valley- special
focus on agricultural water and water-related
themes
(4) (2) provision of services to optimize agriculture
field operations and production, including more
climate change resistant crops and more
organic agricultural practices;
(5) to assist farmers and their organizations in
applying sustainable agronomic practices,
including minimized use of pesticides and
fertilizers; regulation and distribution and types
of pesticides on regional or national levels, and
promotion of environmentally sustainable
substances
(6) to strengthen the expertise of WUA to provide
these services to their farmers;
Name: A04 JOR – Jordan Valley
Post Harvesting Support Project
(7) the improve the co-operation between the WUA’s and the
JVA and MoA
(8) Mobile Irrigation and Soil Lab- to conduct soil tests and
conduct irrigation systems tests and maintenance
Location: Lower Jordan Valley
Objectives:
To improve the post-harvesting and marketing potentials
of the farmers in the Jordan Basin. This interventions
also relates to A01 – Greenhouse Extension Project
Type of Intervention:
Agriculture Improvement
Map:
Intervention:
(1) organizing farmers within the Jordan Valley in
product organizations;
(2) provide them with relevant local and international
market information; related product quality requirements,
prices and logistic requirements
(3) Assisting farmers with development of good business
models (including fair trade markets, organic product
markets; etc), provision of information of product
processing and agro-industry (like production of fruit
juice, or almonds), marketing approaches and access to
export markets;
(4) Assisting farmers with implementing joint pilot export
initiatives for certain products (like strawberries etc.)
Name: A06 JOR – Jordan Valley
Authority Support Project
Location:
JVA
Objectives:
The aim of this project is to strengthen JVA in their role
as authority and regulator of agricultural water supply in
the Jordan Valley
Type of Intervention:
Agriculture Improvement
Map:
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Intervention:
(1) strengthening water data collection and management;
(2) strengthening water planning capacities (WEAP, GIS,
CAM (computer aided maintenance …etc);
(3) improving SCADA system and its operations of water
storage and distribution networks in the Jordan Valley,
including IT and wireless data transfer;
(4) Strengthen role of JVA towards the WUAs in the
Jordan Valley (less detailed control, more efficiencies).
(5) This project will include purchase of mobile technical
equipped units for light or medium repair works of water
distribution networks.
Table 4: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Water Management)
Name:
Location: Lower Jordan River Basin
W01 – Improved Lower Jordan River
Basin Management Project
Objectives: The goal of this Project is to improve the basin
Map:
water management in terms of operational and information
management of the Jordan Basin, and to prepare for full
collection, treatment and reuse of locally generated
wastewater in the basin. This includes investment planning
and a pilot wastewater collection and reuse scheme, to
demonstrate to the inhabitants in the basin the advantages of
reusing treated wastewater for agricultural purposes.
Type of Intervention:
Water Management
Name:
W02 JOR – Wastewater collection,
treatment and reuse project
Type of Intervention:
Waste water
Location:
Lower Jordan River Basin
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Objectives:
1. To realize adequate and safe collection of waste water
from all the communities in the study area (by
constructing wastewater collection networks) 540,000
people in 2025 and 607,000 people in 2050
2. To treat the generated wastewater from the different
communities
3. To realize full scale reuse of treated wastewater in the
Lower Jordan Valley (24 MCM per year in 2025 and 33
MCM in 2050)
Map:
Table 5: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Pollution Control)
Name:
Location:
P01 JOR – Solid Waste Management
Jordan Valley, Jordan
Objectives:
Map:
Preparation of an integrated solid waste management plan for
the Lower Jordan River Basin, including (separate) waste
collection, transportation; transfer; reuse and recycling of solid
waste streams; selection, planning, design and construction
of a sanitary landfill; closing of existing non-sanitary dump
sites; maximizing of composting of organic waste (including
feedstock waste) for use in agricultural sector; organizational
(JVA) and financial frameworks (polluter pays principles); and
international exchange of best practices.
On the long term this should lead to full collection and
sanitary treatment of all solid waste streams and maximized
reuse and recycling of waste streams, including waste to
energy.
Name:
Location:
P02
JOR
–
Environmental Jordan Valley, Jordan
Management and Public Awareness
Program
Objectives:
The aim of this project is to set up an integrated
environmental monitoring, enforcement and public
awareness program for the Lower Jordan River Basin,
including monitoring of wastewater and solid waste major
pollution sources, including fish farms; ambient surface and
groundwater quality; soil quality and air quality. The
purpose of this program is to enabling JVA and related
authorities to establish the environmental baseline of the
LJR Basin; to increase public awareness on environmental
protection and water demands; and to monitor the impacts
of pollution control measures, such as solid waste
management and wastewater management interventions.
The project will also include development of dedicated
impact assessment tools for JVA, such as Strategic
Environmental Assessments to be used to test new policies
and strategies related to the LJR Basin
Type of Intervention:
Pollution Control
Type of Intervention:
Pollution Control
Map:
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Table 6: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Ecological Restoration)
Name:
Location:
E01 JOR – Jordan River Ecological
Lower Jordan Valley
Restoration Project
Objectives:
Before degradation, the LJR flowed freely for thousands of
years from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea creating a
lush wetland ecosystem, rich in biodiversity. The aim of this
intervention is to restore the green character of the river
again – supporting not only the own riparian ecosystem
services and biodiversity, but also the biodiversity of the
region in general. This project will depend on the gradual
improvement of water quality, water supply and
environmental flow into the river, and will include design and
implementation of dedicated ecological restoration projects
and eco-parks along its borders, as well as detailed surface
water quality and ecological protection and monitoring
projects. One of these projects may relate to assigning
“nitrate” vulnerability zones along the river, to prevent
emissions of nitrate from farmer practices into the river
system.
Type of Intervention:
Policy and legislative improvement
Table 7: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Tourism and Cultural Heritage
Development)
Name: C01 JOR – Jordan River
Location: Jordan River
Baptism Site Improvement Project
Objectives:
The Baptism Site, “Bethany Beyond the Jordan (AlMaghtas) Protected Area is located in the Southern
Jordan Valley on the east side of the Jordan River
around 9 km north of the Dead Sea and is part of the
District of South Shunah in the Governorate of AlBalqaa. The site is located a few kilometers to the east
of the oasis and ancient site of Jericho and ca. 50 km
west of Amman, the capital of Jordan. The site covers
an area of 533.7 hectares where five archaeological
sites dating back to the Roman and Byzantine periods
have been discovered. The precise limits of the
archaeological remains are undetermined, although all
identifiable cultural traces are included in the protected
area. This project aims at improving the tourism facilities
at the Baptism Site along the River Jordan, particularly
with regard to establishing a good restaurant, a rest
house, a bookshop and souvenirs shop
Type of Intervention:
Cultural Heritage and Tourism
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Table 8: List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (Urban and Infrastructure
Development)
Name:
Location:
U01 JOR – Infrastructure Development
Lower Jordan River Basin
Project
Objectives:
Map:
The current route 65 is the main north south road through the
Jordan Valley, and crosses all major villages in the valley.
However, traffic along the road is dense and relative
dangerous, and intersected by many minor roads and used
by pedestrians, slow traffic and heavy traffic alike. This
intervention supports the plans of the Ministry of
Transportation, who is responsible for Infrastructure, to
rehabilitate this road for local traffic purposes only, including
safe pedestrian sideways, signs and lighting, and safe
crossings, and meanwhile constructing a new parallel NorthSouth highway for heavy traffic that bypasses the urban
centres.
Type of Intervention:
Waste water
Name:
U02 JOR –Urban and Spatial Master
Plan
Type of Intervention:
Planning & Construction
Location:
LJV
Objectives:
The aim of this project is to develop detailed urban,
infrastructure and physical land use plans for the LJV, taking
into account the foreseen population and economic
projections of the Lower Jordan River Basin, considering to
foreseen growth of the population to over 600,000 people in
2050, requiring a total of about 130,000 housing or apartment
units in 2050, including related infrastructure, transport,
water, sanitation, electricity and IT related utilities, public
services, schools and recreational areas and facilities.
Map:
Table9 : List of Jordanian NGO Master Plan Interventions (International Cooperation)
Name:
IC01 Establishing a Jordan River Basin Organization
(JORBO)
Location:
Entire Basin
Type of intervention:
Governance intervention
Objectives:
In preparation for a final peace agreement in the LJR Basin, the feasibility and institutional set-up of a transboundary river
basin organization (RBO) will be assessed, in line with the UN Watercourses Convention (scheduled to enter into force on 17
August 2014). The RBO’s key objective is to ensure coordinated water resources management between riparian countries
Jordan, Israel and Palestine (in the long run this may include Lebanon and Syria as well) on a shared Jordan River Basin,
while addressing the legitimate social and economic needs of each of the riparian states, and to enable joint development and
management of water resources infrastructure between the riparians. The Organization may act as a coordinating body for the
riparian countries of the LJR, fostering co-operation over water resources through a coordinated, transparent and democratic
process.
A respective agreement should provide the legal framework and mandate for the functioning of the Jordan RBO (in short:
JORBO). In particular existing legislation and transboundary agreements might require revision. National governments’ water
departments or ministries will engage with this legally mandated institution in terms of their national interests.
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The key challenges for the Jordan Valley are to create a healthy economic
development perspective, to provide the Jordan River with sufficient environmental
flows to sustain a healthy eco-system; share water resources in a more equitable
way, free public access for all nationalities to the River within an appropriate security
framework and securing sufficient water to supply the projected water requirements
for 2025 and 2050.
In terms of advocacy and local community empowerment; the development of the
LJRB requires that local communities to fully participate in identifying their needs
and in implementing the interventions for addressing these needs. This requires that
local communities are educated and empowered; and that the general public
awareness on the current problems and possible solutions in terms of sustainable
development is raised. This requires support from local media as well as local
governments and municipalities, as well as support from the JVA and the Water
Authority of Jordan (WAJ) .
Furthermore, in order to further boost a sustainable economic development in the
LJRB and related living standards for its population, additional economic
development and private sector initiatives have to be supported, including
community development projects; agro-industry and tourism development and
specific economic initiatives providing high outputs against low water requirements.
Sustainable economic development also requires promotion of the use of renewable
energy sources, such as biogas; waste-to-energy; small scale solar energy as well
as promotion of better vocational education facilities in the region .
The institutional challenge will remain as the strengthening of responsible
authorities, including JVA, WAJ, the municipalities and related authorities in their
role as authority and regulators in the JV. Improvements are required in areas such
as water data collection and management; water planning; water storage and
distribution operations, including IT and wireless data transfer, economic and land
use planning and related support services. This will also require improved
coordination and cooperation between various stakeholders involved in water
management, to enable a more efficient and beneficial water economy.
Finally, maximizing the economic development perspectives in the LJRB is
inevitable provided that trans-boundary co-operation is strengthened, particularly
among Jordan, Israel and Palestine. This may include preparing for a joint Lower
Jordan Basin Rehabilitation Committee; updating the Jordanian – Israeli water
agreements taking into account the increased water stress in Jordan and a new
water division based on proportional distribution of water (i.e. percentages rather
than fixed flows). On the long-term, the challenge might even be to work towards an
integrated Jordan Basin Committee for all riparian countries, including Israel,
Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.
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4. Conclusions and Recommendations

The environment is a major victim of conflict. In this respect, states and
communities compete rather than cooperate over water resources, however
the GWN project revealed over the years that competition is often a zero-sum
game and cooperation is the only way to preserve precious water resources
for both competing communities.

Over 98 per cent of the JR is diverted, with Syrians and Israelis building
upstream dams. Pollution of the river due to poor sewage management is
another challenge – and it makes no difference who polluted, everyone is
negatively affected. It can be stated that as nature knows no borders, the
dependence of the communities on the same water resources can create
opportunities to move forward, where politics have failed .

The major challenge of the LJRB is to rehabilitate the LJR in terms of water
flows and quality and ecological values; and to develop a sustainable water
management framework and a healthy economic development perspective.
The aim of the plan is to identify feasible interventions that will restore the
basin’s environmental and ecological values within a realistic financial and
economic framework .

The NGO Master Plan presents a series of feasible interventions within the
context of an integrated problem analysis of the region and an assessment
and elaboration of the best possible solutions for these problems. This plan
has been prepared in co-operation with a wide variety of Jordanian
stakeholders. The contribution of JVA in preparing this plan was crucial and
has been highly appreciated .

This national NGO Master Plan can be used as an advocacy tool by FoEME
and its partners towards Jordanian decision makers and the international
community for the implementation of the proposed interventions.

The “Good Water Neighbors” (GWN) project, established by EcoPeace /
FoEME in 2001 proofed to be a good example of how the challenges in the
basin can be addressed from a regional perspective, based on the idea that
identifying cross border communities and utilizing their mutual dependence
on shared water resources is a good basis for developing dialogue and
cooperation on sustainable water management across the national borders .

Finding international and national partners for implementing the current NGO
Master Plan is the next challenge. It is deemed the depth of the analysis
presented in the original “NGO Master Plan Report” and the consistency in
the planning approach is the building block for implementing this plan.
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However, it will require continued co-operation on a basin level within the
Lower Jordan River with both the Israeli and the Palestinian neighbors.
5. References:
1. FoEME (Dr. Sarig Gafny; Dr. Samer Talozi; Banan Al Sheikh; Elizabeth
Ya’ari); Towards a Living Jordan River: An Environmental Flows Report on
the Rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River (May 2010)
2. FOEME (Jeroen Kool ,Patrick Huntjens; Samer Talozi); Report on the
Second Stakeholder Consultation Meeting for the Jordanian NGO Master
Plan for the Jordan River Basin - Evaluation of interventions based on multicriteria analysis (June, 2014)
3. NGO Master Plan for the Lower Jordan River, (FOEME, SIWI, GNF and EU
SWIMP) - dated 28 June 2014
4. Climate Change, Conflict & Security Consultation Meeting Minutes (August
17, 2014)
5. FOEME (Nicole Harari, Jesses Roseman); Environmental Peacebuilding
Theory and Practice – Good Water Neighbors Case Study (January 2008)
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