Comments on: Water, Peace and the Middle East http://www.internationalwaterlaw.org/blog/2009/07/23/water-peace-and-the-middle-east/ Sun, 19 May 2013 08:51:38 +0000 hourly 1 By: Gabriel Eckstein (IWLP blogger) http://www.internationalwaterlaw.org/blog/2009/07/23/water-peace-and-the-middle-east/comment-page-1/#comment-146 Gabriel Eckstein (IWLP blogger) Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:20:36 +0000 http://internationalwaterlaw.org/blog/?p=168#comment-146 Hi Terry,
The only comments I have from you that is recorded on the blog is this one asking for confirmation. If you submitted an earlier one, unfortunately, it did not take. I would greatly appreciate it if you would try again. I recognize your name (Spragg Bags) and would love to have you participat in the discussion. Best regards,

gabriel …..

]]> By: Terry Spragg http://www.internationalwaterlaw.org/blog/2009/07/23/water-peace-and-the-middle-east/comment-page-1/#comment-145 Terry Spragg Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:02:45 +0000 http://internationalwaterlaw.org/blog/?p=168#comment-145 Dear Gabriel,
I submitted a reply to the above comments but I have no way to verify if you received it.

If you have received it can you send me a verification along with a copy of my comments for my records? I would like to forward a copy of my comments to Gershon Baskin.

Thanks,

Terry Spragg

]]> By: Professor Hillel Shuval http://www.internationalwaterlaw.org/blog/2009/07/23/water-peace-and-the-middle-east/comment-page-1/#comment-143 Professor Hillel Shuval Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:35:08 +0000 http://internationalwaterlaw.org/blog/?p=168#comment-143 While water problems are important there is no basis for the claim that these disputes will lead to the next war in the Middle East. There are realisitic solutions which can be achieved with reasonable investiments–no need to go to war over them.

While Turkey indeed has huge amounts of water that it will never need, Wiess’s proposal to transport water from Turkey overland to Palestine/Jordan and Israel is not realistic both for all the geopolitical reasons you mention but mainly since all engineering estimates indicate that such a project is significantly more expensive than sea-water desalination on the coastline of Israel or Akaba.

On the other hand, you are right when you say that in the framework of a final status peace agreement between Israel and Palestine there will be a need to increase the Palestinians share of the shared mountain aquifer and Jordan River to help the Palestinians meet their part of their vital human needs for drinking water for domestic and urban needs.

However, in the long run there is not enought water between the Mediteranean and the Jordan River to meet the long term needs of Israel and Palestine together and both nations will have to increase the production of desalinated sea water which is the only realistic alternative not involving geopolictal complications. The price of sea-water desalination is now relatively low– about $0.50/cubic meter and can supply all the water needs of the region-without the need of going to war.

In the long run Syria and Lebanon , who are both riparians on the shared waters of the Jordan River Basin, together with Israel and Palestine, should participate in increasing the share of the water short Palestinians. The spirit of Interantional Water Law calls for equitable sharing of water resources among riparians. There is no reason that Syria and Lebanon should not be partners in the efforts to provide sufficient water for Palestinian economic welfare and survival.

———-
Professor Hillel Shuval
Professor Emeritus-Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

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