13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti1 The Second Israeli-Palestinian International Conference on “Water for Life in the Middle East” Addressing the Dead Sea Basin Water Issues

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti2

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti3 The Dead Sea Water Basin Total Area41,000 Sq. Km –Jordan River19,000 Sq. Km –Dead Sea22,000 Sq. Km Annual Water Availability1,800 MCM/yr –Jordan River1,500 MCM/yr –Dead Sea 350 MCM/yr Annual Water Use –Jordan River1,400 MCM/yr –Dead Sea (Potash plants – net) 250 MCM/yr

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti4 Water Balances The Jordan River150 MCM/yr (Incl. Brackish Water and Sewage) The Dead Sea - Net-600 MCM/yr –Surface Evaporation-800 MCM/yr –Potash Works-250 MCM/yr –Total -1,050 MCM/yr –Jordan River 150 MCM/yr –Other 300 MCM/yr –Total 450 MCM/yr

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti5 Water Use in the Basin by Political Entities Jordan River – Israel & the Palestinians50% (one third of annual consumption) –Jordan27% (one third of annual consumption) –Syria21% –Lebanon 2%

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti6 Additional Threats to the Water Balances New water projects in the riparian countries : –Surface water in: Lebanon, Jordan in the Yarmuk, Israel & Jordan in the Jorden River (the peace agreement), the Mujib river in Jordan, etc. –Desalination of brackish water in Israel & Jordan. –Recycling of waste water (fish ponds and sewage)

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti7 Main Water Issues in the Basin Water allocation to the riparian countries Water management in the riparian countries The future of the River Jordan The future of the Dead Sea The water allocation and management issues will be dealt in other forums

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti8 Environmental and Economic Threats Shrinkage of the Jordan river and its habitat. Shrinkage of the Dead Sea with major environmental and economic damage.

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti9 Approaches to Ways to Address the Threats (1) The overall approach that will initiate agreements on water allocation, water management, the future of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. The end result will be a renewed flow of surface water in the Jordan river to resolve the Jordan and Dead Sea threats. The limitations are the very high “transaction costs” because of the very complex internal and external political problems.

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti10 Approaches to Ways to Address the Threats (2) Independent approaches to each of the pending issues with international coordination. –Water allocation to the riparian countries –Water management in the riparian countries –The future of the Jordan River and –The Future of the Dead Sea

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti11 Possible Ways to Address The Jordan River Issues An agreed freeze on future surface water projects in the Jordan basin An agreement to prevent the flows of waste water to the Jordan and the use of recycled and brackish water to renew the Jordan River flows

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti12 The Dead Sea water Level In 2004 the level was Annual decline is one meter.

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti13 Future Dead Sea Water Levels (bellow sea level) (Under different water input assumptions)

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti15 Damages in the Dead Sea Receding seashores Destruction of natural habitats Changes in landscapes and damages to structures and infrastructure

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti16 11/02 1/45 Kaneh Springs

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti17 North of Ein Gedi

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti18 Nahal Dragot

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti19 Ein Bokek Area

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti20 Ein Gedi

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti21 The Red-Sea Dead-Sea Conduit (RSDS) The Vision Saving the Dead Sea Making drinking water available at affordable prices mainly to Jordan Building a symbol of peace and cooperation in the Middle East

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti22 Concept Configuration The Red Sea - Dead Sea (RSDS) sea water Conduit – (The “Peace Conduit”) Desalination/Power plants in the Dead Sea Fresh Water Conveyance system

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti23 The Concept of the RSDS Projects (1) The dual objectives and sets of benefits Saving the Dead Sea – Generating environmental and tourism benefits to cover the cost of the Red Sea Dead Sea Conduit Making drinking water available in Amman at a cost of about 1.25 dollar per cubic meter (lower than the alternative cost of water in Amman in the year 2020)

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti24 The Concept of the RSDS Projects (2) The Red Sea Dead Sea Conduit will be financed by donor countries. It will be built and operated by the private sector. The desalination/power plants and conveyance of fresh water will be built in stages, and owned and operated by the private sector.

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti25 The Red-Sea Dead-Sea Conduit

13/10/2004Rafi Benvenisti26 Environmental Issues Potential changes in the Dead Sea composition with possible affects on the appearance of the sea and the operations of the potash factories. Potential damages to the environment in the Gulf of Aqaba. Potential damage to the aquifer in the Arava Valley The issues need further study and the building of a dynamic limnological model is essential before detailed design of the project.