Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05AMMAN2551
2005-03-28 13:48:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

Biblical River Jordan Now Sewage-Laden, Drying Up

Tags:  SENV ECON PREL XF IS JO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002551 

SIPDIS

INTERIOR FOR US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY - INTERNATIONAL WATER
PARIS PASS TO UNESCO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ECON PREL XF IS JO
SUBJECT: Biblical River Jordan Now Sewage-Laden, Drying Up

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002551

SIPDIS

INTERIOR FOR US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY - INTERNATIONAL WATER
PARIS PASS TO UNESCO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ECON PREL XF IS JO
SUBJECT: Biblical River Jordan Now Sewage-Laden, Drying Up


1. This is a joint Embassy Amman - Embassy Tel Aviv
message.


2. Summary: The NGO Friends of the Earth Middle East
(FOEME) organized a symposium on March 8 on Peace Island
(Bakoura Island) for representatives from Jordan, Israeli,
the Palestinian Authority and the international community to
discuss rehabilitation of the Jordan River. The Jordan's
flow is less than 10 percent of its former level, and a
large percentage of that is untreated sewage. Speakers
noted that riparian states would need to redirect fresh
water supplies to the river if the Jordan is to regain its
health. End summary.

Speakers Stress Cooperation but Don't Make Commitments
-------------- --------------

3. Key speakers included Prince Al-Hassan of Jordan,
Israeli Environment Minister Shalom Simchon, UNESCO Deputy
Director General Mounir Bouchenaki, and Pekka Haavisto,
Director of the UN Environment Program Post-Conflict
Assessment Unit. Embassy Tel Aviv ESTH Officer and Embassy
Amman Econcouns attended. In his remarks, Amman Econcouns
stressed the importance of the parties working together to
resolve water and environmental issues and to achieve
sustainable peace in the region. Prince Hassan and Israeli
Environment Minister Simchon also made remarks in that
spirit but without making specific commitments. Although
the Palestinian Authority was not represented at the
ministerial level, Palestinian local officials and
specialists participated actively in the discussions. There
were many media representatives in attendance.

Flow Down from 1.3 Billion to 100 Million Cubic Meters
-------------- --------------

4. Symposium speakers noted that the river is under threat
of drying up altogether during summer and being reduced to a
meager flow in the winter because of water diversions by
Israel, Jordan and Syria. Over the past fifty years, annual
flows have dropped from 1.3 billion cubic meters per year to
less than 100 million cubic meters per year, of which some
20 million cubic meters is untreated sewage, according to
FOEME. The highly polluted Jordan River ends at the Dead
Sea, itself under threat because of having shrunk by 30
percent in the last fifty years as its major source, the

Jordan River, has been depleted.

"Crossing the Jordan" Concept Document
--------------

5. Friends of the Earth Middle East (FOEME) has called for
the Jordan River, an important river for Christians, Jews
and Muslims, to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
FOEME experts from Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian
Authority prepared and presented a concept document at the
symposium entitled "Crossing the Jordan." (See
http://www.foeme.org/publications/crossing_th e_jordan.pdf).
The document focuses on the heritage, water resources and
biodiversity of the Jordan River Valley. Its goal is
rehabilitating the river, promoting prosperity in the Jordan
basin and helping to bring peace to the region. FOEME and
other speakers at the symposium argued for cooperation in
the region to treat sewage before it enters the Jordan River
and to develop tourism as an alternative to water-intensive
agriculture.

FOEME's Declaration
--------------

6. FOEME also issued a unilateral declaration as follows:

(begin quote)

Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME)
Peace Island Declaration for the Lower Jordan River Valley:

The Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian representatives who
met at the Peace Island on Tuesday 8th March, 2005 to
jointly discuss a concept document entitled "Crossing the
Jordan" for the rehabilitation, the promotion of prosperity
and the help of bringing peace to the Lower Jordan River
Valley, acknowledged and thanked the Patron HRH Prince
Hassan of Jordan, the Hosts and Donors for their support and
encouragement and UNESCO for its concerns.

The representatives in recognizing:
-- the universal natural and cultural significance of the
area;
-- that current practices are at the demise of natural and
cultural values and at the expense of peoples' livelihoods;
-- that all peoples/riparians along the Valley must share
the benefits of the resources of the valley but that in so
doing the right balance must be struck with nature;
-- the introduction of sustainable tourism - along and/or
crossing the Jordan - is one of the economic activities that
can promote sustainable development and bring prosperity to
the valley;

Called upon the three governments to:
-- make a commitment for the ecological rehabilitation of
the River Jordan based on their signed peace treaties and/or
agreements, and that now is the time to implement that
commitment before damage done becomes irreversible;
-- prevent ongoing pollution and return sufficient
quantities of clean water back to the Jordan River;
-- appropriate UNESCO and UNEP mechanisms as a strong basis
for ecological rehabilitation of the river and valley;
-- develop a coordinated and collaborative Integrated
Environmental Management Plan including the Tangible and
Intangible Heritage of the valley together with extensive
public participation;

And further invited the international community to:
-- give support to the project through the UNESCO, UNEP and
other mechanisms;
-- adopt and give technical and financial assistance towards
its implementation;
-- develop academic networking to research and monitor the
rehabilitation of the valley and river.

(end quote)

Comment
--------------

7. For health reasons, you would not want to be baptized in
some sections of the Jordan River these days. The task of
rehabilitating it is daunting. The symposium highlighted
the current sad state of the river and helped identify hard
decisions and major actions that governments need to take to
rehabilitate the river. End comment.

HALE