Jordan, PNA and Israel agree to launch feasibility to restore Dead Sea water leve

Amman, Dec. 10 (Petra) Officials from Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) met Sunday along the shores of the Dead Sea to discuss the details of feasibility study to save the Dead Sea shrinking body of water.
During the meeting, attended by representatives of four donor countries France, Japan, the United States and the Netherlands together with the World Bank, the three countries agreed to launch a two-year study to work together to save the unique body of water.
The study, which includes environmental and social assessment of the project, will investigate the feasibility of transferring water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea to prevent its declining level, which is falling approximately one meter a year.
In 2005, the three concerned parties appealed to the World Bank to coordinate financing the feasibility study. The World Bank have agreed and appealed to the donor countries.
Stressing the necessity to speed up measures to rescue the Dead Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Suheir al-Ali said in her opening statement “the study, when completed, would help protect the Dead environment and would establish a base for joint cooperation between countries surrounding the Dead Sea.”
She voiced thanks to the donor countries France, Japan, the United States and the Netherlands, who have committed themselves to offer $US9 million to participate in financing the $US15.5 million study. She also urged world countries to help finance the study.
Jordan's Minister of Water and Irrigation Thafer al-Alem said the study will look at the environmental and social consequences of transferring water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea and will also prevent the drop in the Dead Sea water level and provide drinking water.
PNA economic advisor said it is necessary to address this pressing issue of the decline in the Dead Sea body water level.”
Israeli Minister of National Infrastructure, Benjamin ben-Eliezer, said the "study is an excellent example for cooperation, peace. He hoped this would the first in a series of future cooperation.
Director of Sustainable Development in MENA region at the World Bank Inger Andersen said the bank was happy to support the three countries conducting the study, which is very important to preserve a very important source of life. He also thanked the four donor countries for the contributions to the study.

Ministry of Water & Irrigation