Israel, Jordan to restore Jordan River
Israel and Jordan are creating a plan to rehabilitate and protect the Jordan River, making it a year-round water source with a healthy ecosystem.
Today, Israel and Jordan mark 28 years since the 1994 signing of their peace treaty. Bilateral relations have gone through many ups and downs over the years, but it seems that both governments agree on one issue in particular: the necessity of cleaning up and rehabilitating the Jordan River.
The Jordan River, holy to all three of the region's major religions, flows along some 155 miles from the Upper Galilee to the Sea of Galilee in its northern section, and then southward from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The volume of its second southern section is controlled by the Degania Dam at the Jordan River outlet from the Sea of Galilee. It has not been operational for nearly three decades due to limited rainfall and other factors. The Jordan River is also fed by the Yarmouk River flowing from Syria and Jordan, where it serves as an important source of water, controlled by the dams along its route.
Due to long years of neglect along its southern section, combined with degradation caused by years of drought and sewage discharge, the river’s southern basin has become a putrid waterway with only a trickle of water for the Christian pilgrims who seek to perform baptism rites in its waters.
In July 2022, Israel’s government approved a long-awaited interministerial cleanup project. Its initial phase aims to restore the first seven miles of the river's southern basin, including treating and monitoring and sewage as well as injecting additional water into the dying waterway.
