ECOPEACE MIDDLE EAST ENVIRONMENTAL NGO FORUM

The Jordan River Rehabilitation consists of the faith based initiatives and the Regional Master Plan for sustainable development in the Jordan Valley. Both are critical aspect of our efforts to rehabilitate the Lower Jordan River. Through engaging Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities, EcoPeace’s faith based initiative aims to advance the creation of larger stakeholder circles that support cooperation and shared resource management.
Further EcoPeace, together with the Stockholm International Water Institute and Global Nature Fund, with funding from the EU, released an Integrated Master Plan for the Jordan Valley from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The Master Plan builds on the planning process currently taking place on the Israeli government for the LJR along its internationally recognized section of the river. Compatible plans have been developed for the Jordanian and Palestinian sections, with specific regional interventions identified as well encompassing the three sections. EcoPeace promotes the adoption of the Plan and work towards its implementation.

EcoPeace has developed three community-based EcoParks along the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, to preserve biodiversity and as a powerful tool for environmental education. The Sharhabil bin Hassneh (SHE) EcoPark, 2700 dunams of land in the hills of north-western Jordan, the Auja Environmental Education Center, located north of Jericho in Palestine and the Ein Gedi EcoCenter in Israe, l are unique initiatives of EcoPeace Middle East. These aim to help protect and rehabilitate the Jordan River Valley by raising public awareness of shared water and environmental concerns, promoting cross-border cooperation for solving environmental problems, and developing local and international eco-tourism. Further providing environmental education, to increase knowledge and interest in the environment locally, regionally and nationally. Despite its environmental wealth and potential to be a world class tourist destination due to its cultural and religious heritage, the Jordan Valley lacks properly organized facilities that are environmentally sound and sustainable.

This initiative combines two adjacent areas: Al Bakoora in Jordan and Naharayim in Israel, where a small island was created at the junction of the Jordan and Yarmouk Rivers, and the Jeser Al Majama / Gesher site, known as the historic crossing point of the Jordan River Valley. A Pre-Feasibility Study proposed a two phased development of a Peace Park. In Phase I, the project will launch on the Jordanian and Israeli sides separately, but in parallel. The various sites would be connected in Phase II, the remaining sites developed, and the whole area integrated into a single cross-border park.
The creation of a protected area on both sides of the river will provide greater opportunities for biodiversity protection, cooperative management, joint research programs, education and collaboration on nature-based tourism. Although a border zone is understandably necessary, both Jordan and Israel have already created the precedent of opening the border fence for controlled guided tourism at several locations.

The Water-Energy Nexus Project aims at researching and advocating for a Water and Sustainable Energy Nexus approach to counter the effects of climate change and its potential negative security implications, while providing solutions to water scarcity in the region. The project includes researching the technical, economic, and geo-political pre-feasibility of Jordan as a provider of large-scale renewable energy for the Levant with the coastal region of Israel and Gaza producing the desalinated water.

Israel invested heavily in desalination along the Mediterranean coast, and there is great potential for desalination in Palestine along the coastline of Gaza. While Jordan has limited ability to expand its freshwater supply through desalination, its eastern desert has a high potential for large-scale solar electricity production. Given the strengths of each country, a mutually beneficial exchange of energy from solar fields in Jordan and desalinated water from Israel and Palestine might be possible.

This campaign was launched in November 2012 with the aim of raising the awareness of the public and decision makers in Israel and Palestine as to the urgency of the parties' shared water issues – mainly the lack of fresh water and sanitation solutions in the West Bank, and the effect of current outdated water arrangements on the shared water resources. Our main objective is to advocate the advancement of a final Water Accord between Israelis and Palestinians - a mechanism that could help serve to rebuild the trust necessary in order to put the political process back on track. EcoPeace advocates that given the dire Palestinian need for more water availability, Israel’s new water supply due to large scale desalination, and a shared need to deal with untreated sewage, a new water agreement makes economic, ecological, and most importantly, political sense. An agreement on water would greatly improve the current living conditions of all peoples.