2005 - 2006 - Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2012

ISRAEL - PALESTINE PART 2: COUNTRY ANALYSIS
Water usage in the two main rivers (1990s, million m 3 per annum)
Upper Jordan Yarmouk River
Israel 550 70-100
Jordan 0 120-130
Syria 0 150-240
Lebanon 0 N/A
West Bank 0 0
Israel and Syria have extensively exploited these rivers in recent years. Israel’s National Water
Carrier was conveying 420-450 million m 3 per annum in the 1980s, which, along with direct water
extractions in the Upper Jordan Valley and on the shores of Lake Tiberias accounts for effectively the
whole discharge of the river in its northern section. Financial and political pressures have restricted
Jordan’s exploitation to 120-130 million m 3 per annum from the Yarmouk. Israel in turn pumps some
70 million m 3 per annum from the Yarmouk while Syria takes between 200-250 million m 3 per annum
from this river.
The natural discharge of the river was 1,300 million m 3 per annum. Israel allows a flow downstream
from Lake Tiberias of 60 million m 3 per annum (about 10% of the natural discharge in this section),
along with the remaining Yarmouk waters, and some irrigation return flows, and winter runoff, a total
of 200-300 million m 3 per annum. This water is unsuitable for irrigation because of its high salinity
and other pollution. The West Bank aquifer (also called the Mountain Aquifer) delivers 600-900
million m 3 per annum of water with a safe yield of 632 million m 3 per annum. Most of the aquifers and
the rain recharge arise in the West Bank and are transboundary in nature. Historically, use of the
western aquifer by the local Palestinian population was limited to part of the flow of springs as well as
some 20 million m 3 from traditional dug wells in the coastal area.
20% of the current downstream river flow consists of untreated effluents, along with brackish water
discharge. Estimates for a minimum sustainable river flow in the Lower Jordan range from 141-192
million m 3 per annum. Despite the rehabilitation of the river forming part of the 1994 Israel-Jordan
peace treaty, no progress has been made to date.
Water usage in the West Bank (million m 3 per annum)
Israel 413
Settlers 110
Palestinians 50
Unallocated 58
Groundwater
Annual availability (1998) 1.10km 3
Per capita 187m 3
Annual withdrawal (1986) 1.20km 3
Politics and practicalities
All water disputes in the region revolve round perceptions of water and power. Any projects that are
seen as possibly strengthening one side have traditionally been opposed by the others or their allies.
United Nations vetoes have been used to block World Bank funding for water provision schemes in
Jordan, while in the 1960s and 1970s, military raids were carried out on dams. The 1955 Johnson
Plan for water allocation is often invoked by Jordan and Syria, but it does not recognise the realities
after the 1967 war. Water allocation has been one of the core areas for debate during the current
peace process.
The Via Maris Desalination and Carmel Desalination groups have won BOT contracts to build two
desalination plants for US$140 million. Each group will construct a desalination plant capable of
purifying 30 million m 3 of water a year. The plants will be built under a BOT basis, at a cost of US$70
million each. At US$0.54 per m 3 , Via Maris offered the lowest price per cubic metre. The Via Maris
group is made up of Tahal Consulting Engineers, Granite Hacarmel, Middle East Tubes and Ocean
Advanced Industries. Carmel, which is composed of Ionics (USA), Baran and Dor Chemicals, plans
to build its plant in Haifa Bay. A US$120 million, 100 million m 3 per annum desalination facility to be
located in Caesarea is under consideration.
119 Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2005 – 2006