A Window of Opportunity
A small window of opportunity exists to replenish the Dead Sea simultaneously from both the North and South.
The Northern Solution
The “Prosperity Project” is a renewable energy agreement between Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan, that proposes an exchange of water for energy. Under this proposal Israel will export 200M m3 of desalinated drinking water to Jordan each year, and in turn they will supply Israel with renewable power.
The Dead Sea Guardians propose an implementation scheme which would involve Israel pumping 300M m3 into the Sea of Galilee to replenish the Jordan River. The Jordanians would extract half this amount as it flows downstream for their own domestic use. The excess 150M m3 would then flow to the Dead Sea.
At the same time, we propose that Jordan sends its treated wastewater down the river (an additional 400M m3) to further replenish both the Dead Sea and Lower Jordan Valley.
The Southern Solution
In 2030, the Israeli mining rights to the Dead Sea are due for renewal and the new licensing agreement is currently being drafted. This provides a small but vital window of opportunity. Dead Sea Guardians proposes adding an “extract and restore” addendum to the current licensing agreement, which would require the winning tender to fund the transfer of additional desalinated water, approximately 200M m3 per year, and financially support restoration activities.
The combination of Northern & Southern Solutions would allow approximately 750M m3 to flow into the Dead Sea each year, ensuring its longevity for generations to come.
