Are the conflicts between Israel and her neighbors over the waters of the Jordan river basin an obstacle to peace? Israel-Syria as a case study

• Published in: Water, air and soil pollution air and soil pollution, 2000-10, Vol.123 (1-4), p.605-630
• Main Author: SHUVAL, H. I
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Desalination; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Environmental monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Freshwater; Hominids; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; Inspection; Peace; Pollution; River basins; Rivers; Seawater; Transboundary waters; Water content; Water law; Water resources; Water rights; Water security; Water shortages; Water springs; Water supply; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1005285504188

Are the conflicts over water resources between Syria, Lebanon and Israel who share the transboundary waters of the Jordan River Basin a major obstacle to the peace process? The Syrians and Lebanese have in the past claimed as their own all of the sources of the Jordan River which arise in their territory. International water law provides a strong legal basis to assure the water rights and continued use of water by a downstream riparian, such as Syria's use of the Euphrates which arises in Turkey and similarly, Israel's use of the Jordan River, based on prior use in an international river basin. This paper will evaluate the water security implications for Israel of a possible peace agreement with Syria and Lebanon which would involve Israel forgoing the continued use of those amounts of water from the Jordan River that were approved by the Israel Government under the so-called Johnston Plan of 1956 -- 35 million m^sup 3^/yr. for Lebanon from the Hasbani Springs and 42 mm^sup 3^/yr. from the Banias Springs and Jordan River for Syria. The maximum replacement cost for that amount of water by desalination of seawater may be about $0.70/m^sup 3^ or, some $56,000,000 per year. This is not a great amount of money as part of the price for peace. The paper also shows that Israel does not have to hold on to the entire area of the Golan Heights to assure its water security and that a 1-3 km water security zone along the Syrian side of the international border under joint and international inspection can be an effective water security measure to assure inspection, monitoring and control of all the sources of the Jordan River and Lake Kinneret vital to Israel's water security. The scare stories published by some groups in Israel, that Syria could, after a peace agreement is signed, covertly divert essentially all of Israel's water resources derived from the sources of the Jordan River or 30% of the country's water supply are highly unrealistic. Such major works could not go undetected and Syria and the world recognize that such an act would be viewed as a causus belli and as an act of war by Israel. In an era of peace, development of the shared water resources of the Jordan and continuous water systems in a program of regional cooperation can bring benefits to all of the partners on the Jordan River Basin.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]