Integrated Trans - boundary Regional NGO Master Plan for the Lower Jordan River Basin

Publisher: Royal Haskoning DHV, CORE Associates Palestine, MASAR Jordan, and DHVMED Israel

Date: 2013

Topics: Cooperation, Renewable Resources

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WEDO / Friend of the Earth Middle East assigned Royal HaskoningDHV / DHV B.V. on the 27th of August  2012 to undertake the Integrated Trans-boundary Regional NGO Master Plan for the Lower Jordan River  (LJR) basin. Under this Contract DHV B.V. and its partners will provide technical services to prepare a  FoEME Master Plan: A Vision for the Lower Jordan River for the countries Jordan, Palestine and Israel  and integrated for the region as a whole in accordance with FoEME’s Terms of Reference (ToR) for this project.

 

The Consultant issued a  Draft Inception Report on the first of November 2012, which was discussed with representatives of FoEME, SIWI, GNF and the Consultant on the 7th of November at the Murad Resort, Bethlehem. Next, FoEME provided a list of additional comment on the 19th of November. In the current  final Inception Report, the Consultant incorporated these comments. This report furthermore includes the  revised work plan, the Logical Framework Analysis, and the updated Time Schedule for the study.

 

The study’s overall objective is to create a regional NGO master plan for the Lower Jordan River by developing and harmonizing national master plans into a single cohesive trans-boundary master plan that could be advanced in full or in part by the decision makers –both unilaterally at the national level and/or at the regional level. The Master Plan shall be steered by principles of sustainable development including environmental flows provided through its natural resources; a healthy eco-system; equitable sharing of water resources; free public accessibility for all nationalities within an appropriate security framework; and a healthy economic development perspective.

 

The direct purpose of this project is to publish the national and regional FoEME NGO Master Plans for the Lower Jordan River, and to use the study results and publications as an advocacy tool with national stakeholders, the EU and various actors of the international community to increase political will for the adoption in full or in part of the study's recommendations by the national authorities in the region.

 

The following results are foreseen under this study:

 

  • Published Jordanian NGO Master Plan for the Lower Jordan River from the Yarmouk River in the north to the Dead Sea in the south.

 

  • Published Palestinian NGO Master for the Lower Jordan River from Bezek Stream in the north to the Dead Sea in the south.

 

  • Translation, review and Gap Analysis of the existing Israeli Master Plans from the exit of the Lower Jordan River from the Sea of Galilee to Naharyim (completed by the Kinneret Drainage Authority) and from Naharyim to Bezek Stream (currently being prepared by the Lower Jordan River Drainage Authority). Furthermore the Israeli NGO Master Plan for the Lower Jordan River from the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee to Bezeq Stream will be published.

 

  • Integration of all three (Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli) national NGO Master Plans for the Lower Jordan River into a single transboundary regional NGO Master Plan for the Lower Jordan River.

 

  • National and Regional Strategic Action Plans to advance the implementation of the National and Regional NGO Master Plans, including recommendations, identification of no-regret actions for
    staged implementation.