Israel, Jordan, Palestine sign deal to build pipeline

By Peter Lyukimson, Israel, exclusively for Vestnik KavkazaIsrael, Jordan and Palestine have signed a deal in Washington to build a pipeline from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea as a result of negotiations between Israeli Minister for Regional Development Silvan (Likud), Minister for Water of Jordan Hassam El-Naser, Palestinian Minister for Water Shadad Atili.The pipeline will be 180km long. Ecologists are opposed to the project because most of the pipeline will run through Jordan and will pump 200 million cubic meters of water a year. The project is worth $250-400 million.The pipeline will solve water problems of the three states and bring their relations to a new level.Experts doubt that the project can save the Dead Sea. It will need 1 billion cubic meters of water a year. The pipeline will have a capacity of only 10% of the necessary volume. However, with the operating pipeline, the sea will drop by 1 meters a year, instead of 1.1 meters. The pipeline will run through the African-Syrian split, a zone with high earthquake risks. An accident could become a global ecological catastrophe.Friends of the Earth International believes that pumping water from the Red to the Dead Sea or backwards was an ecological catastrophe in itself. Alternate projects proposed earlier were scrapped due to high costs.

By Peter Lyukimson, Israel, exclusively for Vestnik KavkazaIsrael, Jordan and Palestine have signed a deal in Washington to build a pipeline from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea as a result of negotiations between Israeli Minister for Regional Development Silvan (Likud), Minister for Water of Jordan Hassam El-Naser, Palestinian Minister for Water Shadad Atili.

The pipeline will be 180km long. Ecologists are opposed to the project because most of the pipeline will run through Jordan and will pump 200 million cubic meters of water a year. The project is worth $250-400 million.

The pipeline will solve water problems of the three states and bring their relations to a new level.

Experts doubt that the project can save the Dead Sea. It will need 1 billion cubic meters of water a year. The pipeline will have a capacity of only 10% of the necessary volume. However, with the operating pipeline, the sea will drop by 1 meters a year, instead of 1.1 meters. The pipeline will run through the African-Syrian split, a zone with high earthquake risks. An accident could become a global ecological catastrophe.

Friends of the Earth International believes that pumping water from the Red to the Dead Sea or backwards was an ecological catastrophe in itself. Alternate projects proposed earlier were scrapped due to high costs.