In a key blow to climate cooperation in the Middle East, Jordan has suspended a landmark clean energy-for-water deal with Israel — a move with significant implications for post-war diplomacy and the kingdom’s own worsening water crisis.
With the Gaza war overwhelming already strained ties with Israel, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Al Jazeera on Nov. 16 that the country won’t sign an agreement to sell electricity generated via solar power to Israel in return for desalinated water. Dubbed Project Prosperity, the trilateral deal (which includes UAE backing) could boost Jordan’s water supply by roughly 20%, helping alleviate pressure on one of the world’s most water-scarce nations.
The deal marked a new era in water cooperation between the countries, after their 1994 peace treaty hinged in part on resolving long-standing water disputes. Brokered by US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, Project Prosperity has been hailed as a “win-win” byproduct of the Abraham Accords, but it has progressed slowly since it was first announced in 2021. COP28 was expected to produce a binding agreement towards the execution stage.
