Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., June 17, 2008 Sivan 14, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:52 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Environmental groups warn of damage from Dead Sea canal By Zafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Environment, Red Sea  Environmental organizations in Israel and Jordan, as well as representatives of communities in the Dead Sea area, caution against ecological damage that may be caused by constructing a canal linking the Gulf of Eilat and the Dead Sea. They argue that caution should be exercised with regard to the environmental impact of the plan to develop the Arava and of the construction of this canal. Friends of the Earth-Middle East, whose members include, in addition to Israelis and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) Jordanians and Palestinians recently called on President Shimon Peres and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is expected to visit Israel this month, to refrain from supporting the project before its impact has been studied. The two presidents are scheduled to announce the launch of the Peace Valley project, whose focus is the Dead Sea-Red Sea canal and large-scale tourist development of the Arava region. As part of the project, Israel and Jordan have been promoting, with the support of the World Bank, a plan for the construction of a canal that will relay two billion cubic meters of water a year from the Gulf of Eilat to the Dead Sea over Jordanian territory. The water will be desalinated and transferred mostly to Jordan. After the desalination process, the liquid salt concentration, containing water and salt, will be channeled into the Dead Sea to help rehabilitate it. Advertisement At the same time, Israeli millionaire Yitzhak Tshuva recently announced plans to promote a development plan for the Arava parallel to the construction of the canal. Tshuva spoke of "making the desert bloom" by building lakes, hotels, safari parks and leisure centers. He promised to take environmental considerations into account and even approached environmental organizations and asked them to join the public council he is forming to promote his plan. Not a desert And yet, the environmental organizations stress in their appeal to the presidents of France and Israel that the Arava is not a desolate place that must be made to bloom, but an area of unique importance to the world with regard to its panoramas and flora and fauna. The organizations warn that the planned development will cause ecological damage, and that the construction of the canal may cause serious problems such as the development of a layer of chalk in the Dead Sea, seepage of saline water into Arava groundwater and damage to the coral reefs due to extensive pumping operations in the Gulf of Eilat. "This is a project that will bring into the area Las Vegas-style hotels, a safari like in Kenya and skyscrapers like in Dubai," notes the Israeli CEO of Friends of the Earth, Gideon Bromberg. "All of these are not suited to the area and the nature reserves and natural vistas there," he said. "They want to promote the plan without conducting environmental impact studies and without considering other alternatives." What is as yet unclear to all those involved in the Dead Sea-Red Sea canal project is the specific direction of the project. The World Bank agreed to conduct an engineering, environmental and social feasibility study of the canal project, and so far has been in touch with engineering firms and environmental consulting firms from France and Britain, but it is still unclear what purpose there is in these efforts, without also addressing the tourist development plans that are to proceed simultaneously to the canal project. Bromberg recently met with World Bank representatives involved in the canal project. He expressed his concern that due to pressure in Israel and Jordan to advance the project, the studies on environmental impact and engineering feasibility will be done hastily. No guidelines "The Bank agreed to check other alternatives for rehabilitating the Dead Sea apart from the Dead Sea-Red Sea canal, but no guidelines were set for it," noted Bromberg. "The bank is supposed to appoint consultants from each country to review alternatives, but this is a review whose results are known in advance, because both Israel and Jordan want the canal." The environmental organizations and representatives of the Dead Sea communities argue that alternatives should be considered such as streamlining the use of water for agriculture in Israel and Jordan and increasing the scale of seawater desalination, to enable the diversion of water to the Jordan River and from it to the Dead Sea. According to Bromberg, one obstacle to this plan is that Israel adamantly refuses to allow an outside entity to review its water policy. Bromberg sees no valid reason for this because organizations such as the International Monetary Fund are already doing surveys of the Israeli economy's activities in various areas. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Nazi hunted Nazi sheltered by Austria seen enjoying Euro 2008 games. Battle of the attitude An 'Israeli au pair' seems to be the ultimate oxymoron.   1.   Med-Dead ,ok. Red-Dead, dumb. 08:27  |  Bill 16/06/08   2.   Thank you Bromberg and FOE 08:58  |  Green 16/06/08   3.   Water in The Negev 10:11  |  Jim 16/06/08   4.   disaster 10:11  |  jack 16/06/08   5.   Analysis=Paralysis!!! 10:20  |  Dr. Jack 16/06/08   6.   As #1 said, the original project was w/Med. Jordan benefits eithe 10:27  |  alain 16/06/08   7.   Med-Dead YES!!! Red-Dead NO! 10:28  |  sorand 16/06/08   8.   Dr Jack - we are not your (or Israel`s) enemy 10:51  |  Green 16/06/08   9.   stupidity! the world always changes nothing new in that. 11:00  |  ralph 16/06/08   10.   Time and again the same: Med is much better and cheaper than Red! 11:24  |  S 16/06/08   11.   S`s insight 12:50  |  EJ 16/06/08   12.   EJ #11 Jordan is indeed a problem. But not to be handled by Peres 14:46  |  S 16/06/08

Read & React Rice to Israel: 'Extremely important' to grant Gaza Fulbright students exit visas Responses: 165 Akiva Eldar: Our fixation on Iran leads world to see Israel as the cause of tension Responses: 163 Israeli hurt as Grad-type rockets fired from Gaza hit Ashkelon Responses: 94 Family of captive soldier: Deal with Hezbollah developing for return of troops Responses: 79 Battle of the attitude: Israeli girls vs. American Jews Responses: 85 More Headlines 21:10 Israeli hurt as Grad-type rockets hit Ashkelon 01:09 UN special envoy criticizes Israel for talks with Syria 23:59 Heftziba CEO Yona, who left hundreds homeless, gets 7 years in jail under plea deal 02:06 U.S. official: W. Bank still same after Israel lifted roadblocks 21:13 Iran, fearing sanctions, said to have pulled $75b from EU banks 22:59 UN official who compared Israel to Nazis turns the spotlight on Palestinians 23:42 Bush, Musharraf, Ahmadinejad top least-trusted leaders list 02:36 Police ignored murdered lawyer's complaint that his life was in peril 22:57 Deputy Defense Min.: Residents of southern Israel should stop complaining about Qassams 15:39 Family of captive soldier: Deal with Hezbollah developing 00:37 Rice, in Beirut, voices U.S. backing for gov't that ups Hezbollah's power 21:21 Katsav lawyers slam 'public lynch' over sex crime charges 21:26 Nazi sheltered by Austria as too ill for trial, seen enjoying Euro 2008 21:42 Haredis won't protest Jerusalem Gay Pride parade to minimize its publicity 15:45 Germany mulls probe of Jewish group overseeing Holocaust restitution Previous Editions Select Day 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun 10 jun 09 jun 08 jun 06 jun 05 jun 04 jun 03 jun

Special Offers Advertisement In the heart of Tel-Aviv The Meier on Rothschild tower Jerusalem of Gold Luxury apartments in Jerusalem's finest location Your vacation starts here Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates Istudy Learn Hebrew in 3 months Pardes Institute Summer Sessions http://www.pardes.org.il/ Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved