JORDAN COP27: Agreement between Israelis and Jordanians to save Jordan

At the UN climate change conference the two countries signed a “declaration of intent” on the historic river. The objective is to reduce pollution through treatment plants and improving drainage systems. To this is added the promotion of sustainable agriculture and the reduction of the use of pesticides.

Jerusalem () – Israel and Jordan have reached an agreement on the environment aimed at protecting and recovering the Jordan River, the historic watercourse shared by the two countries – where the baptism of Jesus took place – victim of a constant loss of flow. The signing of the “declaration of intent” took place yesterday between the two delegations participating in Cop27, the UN international conference on climate change taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Details are not yet known and it is not even clear how the two governments intend to work together to save the river. However, initial information leaked by Israel reveals the common purpose of “trying to reduce” pollution of the watercourse by building sewage treatment plants and improving drainage systems. The goal is to prevent cities along the river from dumping untreated wastewater into its riverbed.

The declaration of intent also aims to promote sustainable agriculture, controlling runoff from agricultural fields and reducing the use of pesticides. Israel’s Minister of Environmental Protection, Tamar Zandberg, explained that “cleaning up pollutants and hazardous elements, restoring water flow, and strengthening natural ecosystems will help us prepare and adapt for the climate crisis.” However, the plan may not be on time with respect to the actual cap considering that according to the latest estimates from Amman, the flow of the Jordan has been reduced to a paltry 7% compared to past volumes.

Jordan’s official news agency, Petra (Jordan News Agency) reported that the project also aims to increase water supply and create job opportunities “for those who live on both banks of the Jordan River, including Palestinians.” The agreement was welcomed by EcoPeace Middle East, a cross-border environmental group that promotes cooperation between Israel, Jordan and Palestine on water issues. In a note, he explains that it represents “a critical climate adaptation measure that can help recover 50% of biodiversity lost due to decades of pollution and diversion of fresh water.”

In recent days, still within the framework of COP27, the two countries also renewed the “energy in exchange for water” agreement, thanks to which Jordan supplies solar energy to Israel in exchange for drinking water for the Hashemite kingdom.

For years the protection of the Jordan has been the subject of international debate and an alarm signal for experts and environmentalists. The emergency is becoming more serious due to the progressive increase in temperatures, which have accelerated the evaporation process. This situation has even affected the Dead Sea, because the river’s waters are no longer sufficient to maintain a stable and constant sea level. The Jordan had been reduced to little more than a stream after a degradation process that began in the 1960s, when Israel, Jordan and Syria began to divert the river’s course, using around 95% of its flow for drinking water. and meet the needs of the agricultural and industrial sectors. The Jewish state alone has long extracted close to 60% of the water, with dramatic results for the Dead Sea and the entire region.