Berlin, June 18, 2015: EcoPeace, Global Nature Fund and the Stockholm International Water Institute held an international conference on the shores of the Dead Sea, 9th and 10th of June 2015, to present the NGO regional Master Plan for the sustainable management of the Lower Jordan Valley. More than 150 participants from Palestine, Jordan, Israel and other countries attended the conference and discussed the implementation of this Master Plan that will transform the river from the current trickle of polluted water back to a healthy ecosystem stimulating the sustainable development of the Jordan Valley.
"The Master Plan highlights how the current ecological and economic demise of the valley is a lose/lose situation for all sides concerned. Through the Marshal Plan type investments, undertaken in a manner that supports regional integration and a healthy Jordan River, stability and security can be achieved, a key concern of the Israeli public", said Gidon Bromberg, EcoPeace Middle East Israeli co-director.
The Master Plan includes the West Bank as a legitimate water user and a full riparian partner that has the right to access clean water and also the right for prosperous sustainable development.
"From a Palestinian perspective the Master Plan helps advance a two state solution with an independent Palestine prospering in the West Bank of the Jordan Valley due to full access and riparian rights to both water and land resources in the valley. All sides will gain when independence and integration lead to economic prosperity", said Nader Khateeb, EcoPeace Middle East Palestinian co-director.
The role of Jordan will be essential in the implementation of the Master Plan and the development of the Valley. The Master Plan is expected to provide a multitude of employment opportunities in different sectors of the Jordanian economy. "I am proud that the Kingdom of Jordan is the first to have endorsed the Jordanian interventions of the Master Plan. Facing 40 % unemployment in the valley and an influx of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to the valley, Jordan well understands that only regional integration will bring the needed prosperity and stability to the region. A healthy Jordan River on which the Kingdom is named better reflects our broader aspirations as Jordanians", said Munqeth Mehyar, EcoPeace Middle East Jordanian co-director.
The Master Plan describes 127 specific actions in the valley for water infrastructure, wastewater and solid waste management, agriculture, tourism, renewable energies and the ecological rehabilitation of the Jordan River. Overall, 4.6 billion USD will be needed by 2050. The priority actions for the restoration of the river system require an investment of approximately 32 million USD to be invested as soon as possible.
Dr. Therese Sjömander-Magnusson, SIWI Transboundary Water Management Unit Director, added: "The basin states now face a unique opportunity to support sustainable socio-economic development in their region by turning their cooperation into concrete investment. SIWI has been commissioned to produce a policy tool outlining potential options for a governance structure for the Jordan Basin. We remain committed to supporting regional efforts in the Jordan River Basin, both by identifying innovative funding frameworks and helping to advance governance issues."
Dr. Alain Maasri, Head of the Water Unit at Global Nature Fund, emphasized that "since 60 years now, the conflict over resources in the Jordan Valley has jeopardized the Jordan River ecosystem and the livelihoods of its riparians. It is time for transboundary cooperation and the Regional NGO Master Plan is the way forward. Conflict resolution and environment protection are two sides of the same coin. Environmental NGOs can and will make the difference in the resolution of conflict over water in the Jordan valley."
Global Nature Fund has been supporting the transboundary cooperation between Jordan, Israel and Palestine through the good water neighbors program and other EcoPeace activities for more than 10 years now. We plan to continue this support through project development, transfer of know-how and capacities. Global Nature Fund will also continue to provide backing to political will and for finance support by international and German funding organizations.
Contact:
Dr. Alain Maasri
Water & Living Lakes, Global Nature Fund, Office Berlin
Phone: +49 (0) 30 24 00 867 341, E-mail:
maasri@globalnature.org
Udo Gattenlöhner
Executive Director of the Global Nature Fund, Office Radolfzell
Phone: + 49 - (0) 77 32 - 99 95 – 80, E-mail:
gattenloehner@globalnature.org
For more information: www.globalnature.org/swim-jordan