Abstract
This Regional NGO Master Plan for Sustainable Development of the Jordan Valley aims at identifying feasible interventions that will restore the valley’s environmental and ecological values within a realistic financial and economic framework, in which a future State of Palestine will be recognized as one of the three riparians, side by side with Israel and Jordan with all three nations entitled to an equitable share of the valley’s resources.
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This Regional NGO Master Plan for Sustainable Development of the Jordan Valley aims at identifying feasible interventions that will restore the valley’s environmental and ecological values within a realistic financial and economic framework, in which a future State of Palestine will be recognized as one of the three riparians, side by side with Israel and Jordan with all three nations entitled to an equitable share of the valley’s resources. The plan assumes furthermore free access to the valley for all people within appropriate and negotiated security arrangements. This plan addresses interventions on a regional and national scale in the areas of water management, pollution control, agriculture development, tourism and cultural heritage, land use, governance, sustainable energy, urban development and infrastructure. It will be used by WEDO/EcoPeace and partners as an advocacy tool towards Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian decision makers and the international community for the implementation of the proposed interventions.
Based on the population projections made by the Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli Departments of Statistics, an assessment has been made of the total population in the valley in the years 2025 and 2050. This includes natural growth of the autonomous population to 0.92 % in 2050. In addition, this Master Plan assumes that in Jordan the high number of foreign inhabitants in the valley will gradually decline as because improving economic conditions in their countries of origin, including Syria, Iraq and Egypt. It is assumed that all Israeli settlements in the Palestinian part of the Jordan Valley will be removed, and that the Independent Palestinian State created will see a growth towards an estimated 500,000 people living in the Palestinian section of the Jordan Valley by 2050. It assumes natural population growth under strong economic development conditions in Israel. These assumptions lead to a total projected population in 2050 of 1.048 Million people living in the Jordan Valley, from the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee to the northern edge of the Dead Sea.
The key challenge facing the NGO Master Plan is to strike the right developmental balance between a healthy economic developmental path for the valley and its people on the one hand, and a Jordan River with sufficient environmental flows to sustain a healthy eco-system on the other hand. To meet this objective there is a need to ensure that the river serves as a natural water conveyor and source for water supply for residents in and outside the Jordan Valley. Sustainable development is seen as a catalyst to peace building between Israel and Palestine and the deepening of cooperation between Jordan, Palestine and Israel as a means to achieve prosperity for their residents in the valley. A key condition for meeting this challenge is that Palestine is recognized as a full riparian to the Jordan River, entitled to have access to its fair share of water resources and sovereignty over its lands in the valley.
A total of 127 interventions have been identified, aiming at addressing all strategic objectives of the Master Plan, with a total investment value of 4.58 Billion USD. The full set of interventions is presented in Annex 1 and grouped around the various strategic planning objectives. Interventions have been distinguished in terms of Regional (REG), Israeli (ISR), Jordanian (JOR) and Palestinian (PAL) interventions. The interventions have been elaborated at pre-feasibility level. This implies that indeed more details are to be elaborated during the next stage following the completion of this study, such as detailed feasibility studies, financing plans and more. It is not unlikely that during this follow-up phase additional ideas and interventions will be proposed and developed to further fine tune the actions required.
The majority of investments foreseen in the Jordan Valley relate to urban and infrastructure development, about 3.4 Billion USD, or 80 % of the total investments. This package is crucial for reaching the economic growth assumed in this Master Plan, and to provide the Jordanian and Palestinian needs in terms of housing, roads, education, medical care and utilities. Moreover, these interventions will attract private investors necessary for creating the economic dynamics in the Jordan Valley, required for sustainable growth and prosperity.
By 2050, when these interventions have been implemented, the Jordan Valley will have turned into a co-operative, confident and peaceful region with a healthy economy and strong development perspectives for the people living here. They will experience a clean and healthy environment and sufficient flows in the Jordan River to sustain healthy eco-systems. At the same time the river will act as natural water conveyor and source for water supply in the Jordan Valley. Sufficient water will be equitably shared among the three riparian countries and the valley will be freely accessible for all nationalities within an appropriate security framework. Local, private and foreign investments will be encouraged due to the stability in the region. In short, there will be an investment climate resulting from the reforms in general, and a conductive regulatory business environment that promotes sustainable development.
This vision for 2050 is subject to a series of assumptions, including full realization of the three-state co-operation scenario. Palestine will become an independent state, and an equitable partner to both Israel and Jordan. It is also assumed that by 2020 all pollution sources will have been mitigated or removed from the Jordan Valley, including wastewater, saline water and solid waste related pollution sources. A sustainable and environmentally friendly water regime has been created in the Jordan Valley by 2050, including a clean, healthy and multi-functional river system and facilitates the interests all riparian states appropriately, including the future independent state of Palestine.
By 2050, all regionally generated wastewater will be treated and reused for agricultural purposes. It is also assumed that the three together will have established the Jordan River Basin Management Organization, responsible for river basin management, overseeing the agreed water supply and regional economic development frameworks and jointly managing the Jordan River as the major natural and multi-functional surface water body in the region. It is also assumed that the three parties have agreed on a joint security management framework that ensures maximized security against external threats against all Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian people living in and around the Jordan Valley. This security framework will be based on unbiased, professional and joint assessment of security risks, and mitigation plans that effectively address these risks.
This Regional NGO Master Plan will be presented at an international conference scheduled for June 2015. It will be used as an advocacy tool by WEDO/EcoPeace and its partners towards national and international decision makers and the international community for the implementation of the proposed interventions.
Finding international and national partners for implementation of the most urgent interventions is the next challenge. We trust that the depth of the analysis presented here and the consistency in the applied planning approach will convince these future partners to embark on implementing this plan, including continued co-operation on valley level within the Lower part of the Jordan River among the Jordanian, Israeli and the Palestinian neighbors.
Within the total set of interventions, a series of short term interventions have been identified, which can be initiated immediately, pending the final peace accord between Israel and Palestine. In addition, preparation for the Jordan Valley Regional Coordination interventions on all strategic objectives can be advanced at this time. They represent a total investment value of 495 MUSD, including 165 MUSD of Israeli interventions and 330 MUSD of donor supported Jordanian and Palestinian interventions in the areas of pollution control, water management, tourism and cultural heritage development, agriculture and ecological restoration. These interventions aim at improving the baseline situation in the Jordan Valley substantially, particularly in Palestine and Jordan, resulting in a strong foundation for the establishment of the independent Palestinian State and for effective regional co-operation among the three riparian states as geopolitical conditions allow.
These short-term investments are the following:
2020 Target: Remove major pollution sources from the Jordan Valley
P01 | ISR | Fish Ponds Short Term Pollution Control Improvement Project |
P02 | ISR | Mine Fields Removal Project |
P03 | ISR | Sustainable Fish Farming in the Jordan Valley |
P04 | ISR | Betanya Tertiary Wastewater Treatment |
P05 | ISR | Betanya Desalination Plant and Afikim Reservoir Project |
P01 | JOR | Solid Waste Management |
P02 | JOR | Environmental Management and Public Awareness Program |
P03 | JOR | Agricultural Pollution Control Project |
P04 | JOR | Separate waste collection and reuse pilots |
P01 | PAL | Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Plan |
P02 | PAL | Environmental Management Project |
P03 | PAL | Wastewater collection and treatment |
P04 | PAL | Fish farm Pollution control project |
P05 | PAL | Land and Water quality Protection Project |
2020 Target: Prepare for sustainable water management and supply in the Jordan Valley, including ecological rehabilitation of the Jordan River
W01 | ISR | Yarmouk River Dredging and Cliff Protection Project |
W02 | ISR | Western Drainage Basins Flood Management |
W03 | ISR | Northern Sewerage Expansion Project |
W04 | ISR | Springs Rehabilitation Project |
W01 | JOR | Improved Lower Jordan River Basin Management Project |
W02 | JOR | Wastewater collection, treatment and reuse project |
W03 | JOR | Emergency Wastewater Management Project |
W04 | JOR | Waste water reuse pilot projects |
W02 | PAL | Rehabilitation and Protection of springs |
W03 | PAL | Rehabilitation and construction of Domestic water networks |
W04 | PAL | Desalination of Brackish wells |
W05 | PAL | Rehabilitation of Al Auja Spring |
W06 | PAL | Development of Water Traffic structure |
W07 | PAL | Utilization off Al-Fashkha Spring |
W10 | PAL | Artificial Recharge Scheme |
W11 | PAL | Construction of Water networks |
W12 | PAL | Hydro-Geological Assessment of the study Areas |
2020 Target: Development of a framework for sustainable development of the agricultural sector in the Jordan Valley with an efficient water use
A01 | JOR | Jordan Valley Greenhouses Expansion Project |
A02 | JOR | Jordan Valley Extension Services Improvement Project |
A03 | JOR | Jordan Valley Drip Irrigation Improvement Project |
A04 | JOR | Jordan Valley Post Harvesting Support Project |
A05 | JOR | Jordan Valley Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Project |
A06 | JOR | Jordan Valley Authority Support Project |
A03 | PAL | Water Right Policies and Regulation (internal issues to Palestine) |
A08 | PAL | Support to Women organizations and Bedouin Communities |
A10 | PAL | Strengthening of Extension Services |
A11 | PAL | Promotions of Farmers Cooperative |
A12 | PAL | Jordan Valley Credit Program |
A13 | PAL | LEISA Research certification |
2020 Target: Development of a sustainable ecological management and restoration framework in the Jordan Valley
E05 | REG | International Accreditation of the Lower Jordan River Valley |
E01 | JOR | Ecological Corridors around Valleys and Dams |
E02 | JOR | Wetlands and Aquatic Fauna Restoration Project |
E03 | JOR | Ecological Monitoring and Management Project |
2020 Target: Development of a sound foundation for protection of cultural heritage and tourism development in the Jordan Valley
C01 | ISR | Tsemach to Naharaym Tourism Development Project |
C02 | ISR | Gesher to Bezeq Stream Tourism Development Project |
C01 | JOR | Pella Tabaqat Fahl Site Improvement Project |
C02 | JOR | Abu Ubaydah Tomb Improvement Project |
C01 | PAL | Cultural Heritage Protection and Management Plan |
C02 | PAL | Tourism Branding and Promotion |
C04 | PAL | Rehabilitation of the Catchment of Ancient Jericho |
C05 | PAL | Rehabilitation of salt industry sites, Rusheideyeh |
C06 | PAL | Rehabilitation of Ancient Jericho |
C07 | PAL | Rehabilitation of Hisham’s Palace |
C08 | PAL | Rehabilitation of Tel Abu El Alayek |
C09 | PAL | Rehabilitation of Khirbet El biyadat or Tel Ouja |
C10 | PAL | Rehabilitation of Khirbet El Makhrouq |
C11 | PAL | Rehabilitation of Tel El Hamma |
C12 | PAL | Archaeological Landmark Features |
C13 | PAL | Spa, Thalasso therapy and Balneo therapy Center |
C14 | PAL | Jesus Village |
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Kool, J. (2016). Final Conclusions and Recommendations. In: Sustainable Development in the Jordan Valley. Hexagon Series on Human and Environmental Security and Peace, vol 13. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30036-8_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30036-8_6
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