Abstract

The Dead Sea Basin is an international tourist attraction and an important part of the ecosystem supporting regional land and water resources. The Basin is surrounded by unique flora and fauna, including endangered animals such as leopard, ibex and lynx. It has significant historical and religious importance and its minerals embody therapeutic qualities that benefit the local population as well as visiting tourists. Accelerated development in the Dead Sea region is currently being planned by the Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians. This includes construction of hotels, highways, industry and enhanced mineral and water extraction. If appropriate measures are not integrated into the planning process, the environmental impact of this development could prove detrimental to the region and to associated agricultural land and fresh water. This project will support the first phase of a sustainable development management plan for the Dead Sea Basin. The project goal is to develop the basis for a comprehensive master plan for the Dead Sea Basin and an organizational strategy for its implementation. This will involve identifying the ecological limits of the Basin, the natural resource base of the basin and key private and public stakeholders in the Basin; finalizing a proposal and budget for the master plan; and identifying interested donors. Outputs of the project will include an inventory of threatened natural resources and the communities that depend on them; a working group of stakeholders and associated steering committee of key regional experts; and a consolidated proposal for the development of a master plan for the region.

Post-Project Summary

The project took the form a 2-day workshop entitled "Symposium on Promoting an Integrated Sustainable Regional Development Plan for the Dead Sea Basin," organized by EcoPeace and held in Amman, Jordan, 26-27 May 1998. Participants included representatives of the three riparians (Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians) and relevant organizations worldwide. The Symposium consisted of opening and closing plenary sessions and three specialist workshops dealing with the following topics: ecology and archeology, tourism, and infrastructure and industry. The ecology and archeology workshop recommended that development of the basin be kept on a small scale and away from areas known to be environmentally sensitive; that a database of the natural and archeological resources of the region be developed jointly; that detailed studies of the carrying capacity of the basin be undertaken with respect to various development sectors; and that ecological and archeological sensitivity mapping be developed as a tool for delimiting development and conservation options.

The tourism workshop highlighted the need for an integrated regional development plan; an evaluation of the carrying capacity and marketing potential for the Dead Sea basin; and for cooperation between environmental and tourism interests. It also stressed the need for development that is private-sector led, coordinated rather than competitive and beneficial to local populations. In addition to some of the items already mentioned, the infrastructure and industry workshop called for an integrated plan for the entire Dead Sea basin; detailed environmental impact assessment for all large development projects proposed; a priority list of development needs, beginning with those that are shared by all three riparians; regular discussion among all interests and parties to facilitate cooperation; and identification of the various tradeoffs that need to be made at the policy level in order to achieve optimal use of available resources.

Pending funding, the next step in the process was to be the drafting of a regional plan and the development of a geographic information system (GIS) for the Dead Sea basin, and the formation of a Dead Sea Committee. The Committee would consist of representatives from each of the three riparians and serve as a focal point for disseminating and exchanging information regarding the Dead Sea basin, and take the lead in lobbying for protection of the basin. This would include promoting adoption of the regional plan, registration of the Dead Sea basin with Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), and the establishment of a standing trilateral Dead Sea Commission to undertake regional planning for the basin on a permanent basis

Recipient Institution(s)