CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ContEurVIII2 | Page 96

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2)
and borders Israel and the West Bank from the west, Jordan from the east,
and flows into the Dead Sea. This region, starting from the spot of the
convergence of the Yarmouk and Jordan Rivers and ending in the Dead
Sea, is known as the Jordan Valley. 43
The climate is mostly arid, and the average precipitation rate is 380
mm throughout the Jordan River Basin. Despite being arid, the most
fertile land of the basin extends to the eastern and western banks of the
Lower Jordan River, falling in the territories of Jordan and the West
Bank, respectively. 44
The main water resources in Israel and the OPTs are surface water,
groundwater aquifers, and non-conventional water sources (e.g. reused
wastewater). The Jordan River, which is the main surface water supply, is
a relatively stable source of water and serves as the main source of supply
for Israel. In addition, four aquifers are vital for Israel and the OPTs,
including the Mountain or Western Aquifer, the North-eastern Aquifer,
and the Eastern Aquifer in the West Bank, as well as the Coastal Aquifer
in the Gaza Strip. 45
As mentioned above, Israel is considered the main utilizer of the
Jordan River, and due to its actions, a number of reports show that the
flow of the Jordan River has declined over time, becoming 30 MCM/y
from 1.400 MCM/y. 46 According to the PWA, the major cause of such a
substantial decrease is the state of Israel itself and its NWC, as well as the
dams that Israel constructs in the upper part of the river. Another problem
is the runoff of untreated wastewater from Israeli settlers, which further
complicates the utilization of the water. In addition to Israel’s intentional
acts, the flow of the river has decreased due to the climatic conditions of
the region as a whole, which is the result of high evaporation rates of the
region. 47

43 Lowi,
Water and Power.
Bank, 2009, Assessment of Restrictions.
45 The Palestinian Water Authority, 2013. Status Report of Water Resources in the
Occupied
State
of
Palestine
–
2012,
http://www.pwa.ps/userfiles/file/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8
%B1/%D8%AA%D8%B5%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%81%201/WR%20STATUS%20Rep
ort-final%20draft%202014-04-01.pdf (accessed May 3, 2019).
46 World Bank, 2018. Securing Water for Development in West Bank and Gaza. World
Bank, Washington, DC.
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/736571530044615402/pdf/WP-P157979-
Securing-Water-for-Development-in-West-Bank-and-Gaza-PUBLIC.pdf (accessed May
4, 2019).
47 PWA, 2013. Status Report of Water Resources in the Occupied State of Palestine.
44 World
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