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The “Red-Dead” Canal: Israeli-Arab Efforts to Restore the Dead Sea
Regional cooperation in halting continued overuse of scarce water resources has
been a casualty of the long-running Arab-Israeli conflict. The Dead Sea has been a
victim of this neglect, and scientists estimate that it will decrease substantially in the
coming decades due to overexploitation of the Jordan River. One possible solution is to
construct a canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea to pump sea water into the salt lake
while generating hydroelectric power for use in desalination. The governments of Israel
and Jordan have been enthusiastic proponents of the “Peace Canal,” and are calling on
the international community, including the United States, to support its multi-billion
dollar construction. However, opponents of the canal claim that it may do more
environmental harm than good and suggest that the Dead Sea be naturally restored by
allowing the Jordan River to flow southward unimpeded. Water cooperation is an
essential element of the peace process and, with the renewal of Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations, joint projects, such as the Red Sea-Dead Sea (Red-Dead) Canal, have been
increasingly discussed. This report investigates the proposed Red-Dead Canal and
analyzes its political significance and the debate surrounding its possible construction.
It will be updated periodically.
| Creator | Jeremy M. Sharp, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division, US, May 13, 2008. |
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| Publisher | Jeremy M. Sharp, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division, US, May 13, 2008. |
| Type of document | Report |
| Rights | Public |
| File link | n/a |
| File link local |
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| Source of information | Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report to Congress |
| Subject(s) | DRINKING WATER , DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION : COMMON PROCESSES OF PURIFICATION AND TREATMENT , ENERGY , HYDRAULICS - HYDROLOGY , INFRASTRUCTURES , NATURAL MEDIUM , POLICY-WATER POLICY AND WATER MANAGEMENT , RISKS AND CLIMATOLOGY , SANITATION -STRICT PURIFICATION PROCESSES |
| Geographical coverage | Israel, Jordan, Palestine |
