Contents
1 Introduction. . . 1
1.1 This Regional Master Plan . . . 1
1.2 The Consultants. . . 1
1.3 The Project Team . . . 3
2 The Jordan Valley. . . 5
2.1 Introduction . . . 5
2.2 The Jordan Valley . . . 5
2.2.1 Land Use . . . 5
2.2.2 Climate Change . . . 7
2.2.3 Pollution Sources . . . 16
2.2.4 Cultural Heritage. . . 22
2.2.5 Infrastructure . . . 27
2.3 It’s People . . . 30
2.3.1 Population . . . 30
2.3.2 Socio-economic Situation . . . 30
2.3.3 Agriculture . . . 34
2.3.4 Tourism . . . 38
2.3.5 Industry . . . 41
2.3.6 Human Water Demands and Supply . . . 43
2.3.7 WEAP Model for the Jordan Valley . . . 46
2.4 It’s Governance . . . 49
2.4.1 Stakeholders in the Jordan Valley . . . 49
2.4.2 Governance of the Jordan Valley. . . 53
2.4.3 Current International Agreements and Co-operation Issues . . . 56
2.4.4 Outlook for Future Security Arrangements . . . 59
3 Projections and Objectives . . . 61
3.1 Projections for 2025 and 2050 . . . 61
3.2 Strategic Planning Objectives . . . 64
3.2.1 Introduction . . . 64
3.2.2 Pollution Control and Sanitation . . . 64
3.2.3 Sustainable Water Management and River Rehabilitation . . . 65
3.2.4 Sustainable Agriculture . . . 66
3.2.5 Jordan Valley Governance . . . 67
3.2.6 Ecological Rehabilitation . . . 67
3.2.7 Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Heritage Development . . . 67
3.2.8 Sustainable Urban, Energy and Infrastructure Development . . . 68
xxxv
4 Meeting the Strategic Planning Objectives. . . 71
4.1 The Interventions . . . 71
4.1.1 Pollution Control and Sanitation . . . 72
4.1.2 Sustainable Water Management and River Rehabilitation . . . 77
4.1.3 Sustainable Agriculture . . . 79
4.1.4 Jordan Valley Governance . . . 80
4.1.5 Ecological Rehabilitation . . . 81
4.1.6 Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Heritage Development . . . 83
4.1.7 Sustainable Urban, Energy and Infrastructure Development . . . 85
4.2 Priority Setting . . . 86
4.2.1 Introduction . . . 86
4.2.2 Short Term Versus Long Term Interventions . . . 86
4.3 Disbursement and Finance . . . 87
4.4 Institutional and Governance Aspects . . . 88
5 The Year 2050. . . 91
5.1 The Economy of the Jordan Valley in 2050 . . . 91
5.2 Land Use in 2050 . . . 94
5.3 Water Related Impacts in 2050 . . . 96
5.4 The Jordan River in 2050 . . . 96
5.4.1 Assumptions . . . 96
5.4.2 Salinity . . . 98
5.4.3 Groundwater Contribution . . . 99
5.4.4 Water Supply Assumptions. . . 100
5.4.5 Impacts on Flows in the Jordan River . . . 102
5.5 Environmental Flows by 2050 . . . 103
5.5.1 Introduction . . . 103
5.5.2 Environmental Flow Alternatives. . . 103
5.5.3 Environmental Flow Regime for 2050 . . . 105
5.6 Sensitivity Analysis . . . 105
6 Final Conclusions and Recommendations . . . 109
Annexes to Regional NGO Master Plan for Sustainable Development in the Jordan Valley . . . 113
xxxvi Contents
AMWA Afikey Maim Water Association
CA Current accounts (WEAP)
DOA Department of Agriculture (Jordan) dunum Surface area unit: 0.1 ha
EcoPeace EcoPeace Middle East, (formerly Friends of the Earth Middle East)
ET Evapotranspiration
EXACT-ME Executive Action Team—Middle East
FMS Frequent maximum salinity
GDP Gross domestic product
GoJ Government of Jordan
HEIA High external inputs agriculture
IWA Israeli Water Authority
IWRM Integrated water resources management
JD Jordanian dinar
JRV Jordan River Valley
JVA Jordan Valley Authority (Jordan) JVWA Jordan Valley Water Association (Israel)
KAC King Abdullah Canal (Jordan)
KWh Kilowatt-hour
L/s Liter per second
LEISA Low external input sustainable agriculture LJR Lower part of the Jordan River
m3/s Cubic meter per second
MCM Million cubic meters
mg/l Milligram per liter
MoA Ministry of Agriculture (Israel)
MSL Mean sea level
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NIS New Israeli Shekel
NPA Nature and Parks Authority (Israel) NWC National Water Carrier (Israel)
PCBS Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
ppm Parts per million
PWA Palestinian Water Authority
RS Reintroduced scenario (WEAP)
SoG Sea of Galilee
SWC Saline Water Carrier
SWM Solid waste management
THS Tiberias Hot Springs
UJR Upper Jordan River
WBWD West Bank Water Department (Palestine)
xxxvii
WEAP Water Evaluation and Planning System
WW Wastewater
WWTP Wastewater treatment plant
ZS Zero scenario (WEAP)
xxxviii Abbreviations
Figure 1.1 Jordan Valley . . . 2
Figure 2.1 Current land use of the northern part of the Jordan Valley . . . 6
Figure 2.2 Current land use of southern part of the Jordan Valley south. . . 8
Figure 2.3 Topography of the Jordan Valley . . . 9
Figure 2.4 The Jordan River . . . 10
Figure 2.5 Lower part of the Jordan River and its main tributaries. . . 11
Figure 2.6 Groundwater aquifer systems in the region (ref: EXACT-ME) . . . 12
Figure 2.7 Arab Dam. . . 12
Figure 2.8 Vegetation index . . . 14
Figure 2.9 Water snake in the lower part of the Jordan River . . . 16
Figure 2.10 Parks in the north part of the Jordan Valley . . . 17
Figure 2.11 Nature reserves and national parks in the southern part of the LJV (West Bank) . . . 18
Figure 2.12 Deir Alla landfill . . . 20
Figure 2.13 Gesher fish farm . . . 21
Figure 2.14 Ancient Hisham Palace in Jericho . . . 23
Figure 2.15 Walls of Ancient Jericho. . . 24
Figure 2.16 Tell Deir’Alla . . . 25
Figure 2.17 The tomb of abut ‘Ubaydah . . . 25
Figure 2.18 Belvoir fortress . . . 26
Figure 2.19 Jericho city center . . . 32
Figure 2.20 Old farm house in the southern part of the Jordan Valley . . . 34
Figure 2.21 Greenhouses in the Jordan Valley . . . 38
Figure 2.22 Agricultural zones in the Jordan Valley (Jordan) . . . 39
Figure 2.23 Stone cutting workshop and car workshop near Moath Bin Jabal . . . 41
Figure 2.24 King Abdullah Canal . . . 44
Figure 2.25 Palestinian versus Israeli control in the Jordan Valley. . . 56
Figure 4.1 Total disbursement requirements in MUSD per year. . . 87
Figure 4.2 Jordanian disbursement requirements in MUSD per year. . . 88
Figure 4.3 Israeli disbursement requirements in MUSD per year . . . 88
Figure 4.4 Palestinian disbursement requirements in MUSD per year . . . 88
Figure 4.5 Regional disbursement requirements in MUSD per year . . . 89
Figure 4.6 Funding model for the Jordan Valley in MUSD per year . . . 89
Figure 5.1 Land use map 2050 for the northern part of the Jordan valley . . . 92
Figure 5.2 Land use map 2050 for the southern part of the Jordan valley . . . 93
Figure 5.3 Lower part of the Jordan river . . . 94
xxxix
List of Tables
Table 2.1 Land use in the study area . . . 7
Table 2.2 Climate characteristics relevant for the Jordan Valley . . . 13
Table 2.3 Climate change related impacts to the Jordan Valley . . . 13
Table 2.4 Current threats for ecosystems in the Jordan Valley . . . 15
Table 2.5 Estimated population in the study area (2010) . . . 30
Table 2.6 Socio-economic parameters . . . 31
Table 2.7 Main features of the three agricultural zones of the Jordan River Valley . . . 32
Table 2.8 Cultivated and irrigated land (ha) in the Jordan valley per zone in 2009/2010 . . . 35
Table 2.9 Agricultural land use in the agricultural-water zones of the JORDAN VALLEY study area in 2011 . . . 36
Table 2.10 Livestock in the Western Jordan Valley . . . 37
Table 2.11 Classification matrix of farm organizations and farming styles in the Jordan Valley . . . 38
Table 2.12 Jordan Valley tourism indicators (2010). . . 40
Table 2.13 Assessment of the human water demand in the Jordan Valley in 2010 . . . 43
Table 2.14 Water demands versus supply in the Jordan Valley (2010) . . . 47
Table 2.15 Stakeholders representing the Jordanian Water Sector . . . 50
Table 2.16 Stakeholders representing the Jordanian Agriculture Sector. . . 50
Table 2.17 Stakeholders representing the Jordanian Recreation and Environmental Sectors . . . 50
Table 2.18 Stakeholders representing Israel . . . 51
Table 2.19 Stakeholders representing the Palestinian Water Sector . . . 51
Table 2.20 Stakeholders representing the Palestinian Agriculture Sector . . . 51
Table 2.21 Stakeholders representing the Palestinian Water Sector . . . 52
Table 2.22 Stakeholders representing the Palestinian Agriculture Sector . . . 52
Table 3.1 Projected population numbers . . . 62
Table 3.2 Projected per capita urban water demands . . . 62
Table 3.3 Projected urban water demands. . . 62
Table 3.4 Total agricultural water demands (including brackish water) . . . 63
Table 3.5 Wastewater reuse projections . . . 63
Table 3.6 Solid waste generation projections . . . 64
Table 4.1 The interventions (Annual investments in units100,000 USD) . . . 73
Table 4.2 Pollution control related interventions . . . 76
Table 4.3 Water management related interventions . . . 77
Table 4.4 Sustainable agriculture related interventions . . . 79
Table 4.5 Ecological restoration related interventions . . . 81
Table 4.6 Sustainable tourism and cultural heritage related interventions . . . 83
Table 4.7 Urban and infrastructure related interventions . . . 85
xli
Table 5.1 Economic parameters Jordan valley by 2050 . . . 96
Table 5.2 Projected land use (km2) . . . 97
Table 5.3 Total water demands in the Jordan valley . . . 97
Table 5.4 Jordanian water demands and supply in the Jordan valley . . . 97
Table 5.5 Israeli water demands and supply in the Jordan valley . . . 98
Table 5.6 Palestinian water demands and supply in the Jordan valley . . . 99
Table 5.7 Summary of proposed water resources to meet the projected water demands (MCM) . . . 100
Table 5.8 Anticipatedflows in the lower part of the Jordan river (2050) . . . 101
