What is the reason for conflict between Jordan and israel?

Answer 1

Jordan and Israel do not have any conflict over the River Jordan. Moreover, these two countries signed the "Peace Treaty in 1994" and currently, they do not fight over anything at all, solving any possible disputes and disagreements in a civilized and peaceful manner. In Article 6 of the Peace Treaty and in the posterior and additional articles, Israel and Jordan elaborated the mode of how each side will use the River Jordan as well as other water supplies, and stipulated the following:

Article 6: Water resources

Recognizing the rightful water allocations of both of them in the Jordan River and Yarmouk River waters and Arabah (Arava) ground water and development of new water resources.

Annex II Water Related Matters

Pursuant to Article 6 of the Treaty, Jordan and Israel agreed on the following Articles on water related matters:

Article I: Allocation

Water from the Yarmouk River

A. Summer period - 15 May to 15 October of each year. Israel got 12 million cubic metres and Jordan got the rest of the flow.

B. Winter period - 16 October to 14 May of each year. Israel got 13 million cubic metres and Jordan got the rest of the flow except that Jordan allowed Israel to pump an additional 20 million cubic metres from the Yarmouk. In return during the summer Israel transferred the quantity specified in paragraph 2.a below from the Jordan River.

C. To minimize water waste, Jordan and Israel could use excess flood water that would evidently go unused that is downstream of Adassiya Diversion/point 121.

Water from the Jordan River

A. Summer period - 15 May to 15 October of each year. Israel agreed to transfer 20 million cubic metres from the Jordan River directly upstream from Deganya gates. Jordan agreed to pay operation and maintenance cost of transfers through existing systems (not including capital costs) and to bear the total cost of any new transmission system. A separate protocol regulated this transfer.

B. Winter period - 16 October to 14 May of each year. Jordan was entitled to a minimum average of 20 million cubic metres of the floods in the Jordan River south of the Yarmouk. Unusable excess floods that would otherwise be unused, including pumped storage could be taken.

C. Israel could maintain its uses of Jordan River waters between the Yarmouk and Wadi Yabis/Tirat Zvi. Jordan was entitled to an annual quantity equivalent to that of Israel, provided that Jordan's use did not harm the quantity or quality of Israeli uses. The Joint Water Committee was to document existing uses and prevent such harm.

D. Jordan became entitled to 10 million cubic metres annually of desalinated water from saline springs previously diverted to the Jordan River. Israel agreed to explore the possibility of financing the operation and maintenance cost supplying this desalinated water to Jordan (not including capital cost). Israel agreed to supply Jordan 10 million cubic metres water from the same location as in 2.a above, outside the summer period and during dates Jordan selected, subject to transmission capacity from the treaty's effective date (TED) until the desalination facilities became operational.

Additional Water

Jordan and Israel agreed to jointly develop an additional 50 million cubic metres/year of drinkable water for Jordan. The Joint Water Committee agreed to develop, within one year of the TED, a plan to supply the additional water.

Operation and Maintenance

A. Israel accepted responsibility for operating, supplying and maintaining systems on Israeli territory that supply Jordan with water, allowing Jordan to choose (and compensate) companies/authorities that operate and maintain new systems that serve only Jordan.

B. Israel guaranteed easy access for personnel and equipment to such new systems as further detailed in the agreements to be signed between Israel and the authorities or companies selected by Jordan.

Article II: Storage - The parties agreed to

1. Cooperate to build a diversion/storage dam on the Yarmouk River directly downstream of Adassiya Diversion/point 121.

2. Improve diversion efficiency of Jordanian water into the King Abdullah Canal, and possibly Israel's allocation.

3. Cooperate to build water storage on the Jordan River, along their common boundary, between the Yarmouk River and Wadi Yabis/Tirat Zvi, to implement paragraph 2.b of Article I.

4. Accommodate more floods; Israel could use up to (3) million cubic metres/year of added storage.

5. Optionally agree to create other storage reservoirs.

Article III: Water Quality and Protection - the parties agreed to

1. Protect the Jordan and Yarmouk Rivers, and Araba/Arava groundwater, against pollution, contamination, harm and unauthorized withdrawals of each other's allocations.

2. Jointly monitor the quality of water along their border, via jointly established monitoring stations under the Joint Water Committee.

3. Treat municipal and industrial wastewater to agricultural standards before discharging into the Yarmouk and the Jordan Rivers...

4. ...within three years from the TED.

5. Match the quality of water supplied to the other at any given location to the quality of water from that location consumed by the supplying country.

6. Desalinate saline springs currently diverted to the Jordan River and not dispose of the resulting brine in the Jordan River or its tributaries. Protect water systems that supply water to the other against any pollution, contamination, harm or unauthorized withdrawal.

Article IV: Groundwater in Wadi Araba/Emek Ha'arava - The parties agree that

1. Israel retained the use of wells along with their associated systems newly under Jordanian sovereignty as detailed by 31 December 1994 with Jordan to protect their yields and quality.

2. Jordan would enable the replacement of any failing well, connect it to the Israeli electricity and water systems and treat it as though it was drilled under license from the competent Jordanian authority at the time of its drilling. Israel agreed to supply Jordan with well logs and technical information.

3. Israel could increase the extraction rate from Jordanian wells and systems by up to (10) million cubic metres/year above existing yields, subject to determination by the Joint Water Committee that this undertaking is hydrogeologically feasible and does not harm existing uses. Such an increase had to be carried out within five years from the TED.

4. Operation and Maintenance 1. Jordan accepted responsibility for operation and maintenance of newly Jordanian wells and systems, and their electricity supply. Israel could select the wells' operators at its own expense.2. Jordan guaranteed easy access of personnel and equipment to the wells and systems for operation and maintenance subject to detailed agreements to be signed between Jordan and the authorities or companies selected by Israel.

Article V: Notification and Agreement

1. Deliberate changes in the Jordan and Yarmouk Rivers require mutual agreement.

2. Each country agreed to six months advance notice of projects likely to change the quality or flow of either river along their common boundary via the Joint Water Committee.

Article VI: Co-operation - The parties agreed to

1. Exchange relevant data on water resources through the Joint Water Committee.

2. Cooperative planning for increasing water supplies and improving efficiency, within the context of bilateral, regional or international cooperation.

Article VII: Joint Water Committee - The parties agree that the committee would

1. Host three members from each country.

2. Follow government-agreed work procedures, meeting frequency and scope, consulting experts and/or advisors as necessary.

3. Could form, as necessary, sub-committees and assign them technical tasks, including a northern sub-committee and a southern sub-committee, for detailed management.