Implementation of Red-Dead to begin later this year — Nasser

AMMAN — Jordan will float a tender for the implementation of the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project later this year after preparing the required papers in the coming weeks, Water Minister Hazem Nasser said Thursday.

Speaking at the signing of an agreement with Israel on the first phase of the project's implementation, Nasser said the deal "draws up clear guidelines" for the main components of the scheme, including the method and timeline of implementation.

He added that the agreement also identifies the mechanism to follow up on the project's implementation and its social and environmental impacts in order to secure the "highest level of national interests".

The agreement builds on the memorandum of understanding signed in Washington in 2013 between Jordan, Palestine and Israel, a Water Ministry statement quoted Nasser as saying.

Representatives from the World Bank and the US, and head of the project's Jordanian steering committee, Saad Abu Hammour, attended the signing ceremony.

Nasser underlined that a "true" adherence to the agreement would secure 30 million cubic metres (mcm) of freshwater for Palestine to cover its water deficit.

Stressing that the project is an "innovative" solution to desalinate sea water, the minister noted that 300mcm of water will be pumped each year under the first phase.

In its following phases, the Red-Dead project entails transferring up to 2 billion cubic metres of sea water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea annually.

A total of 85-100mcm of water will be desalinated annually, while the sea water will be pumped out from an intake located in the north of the Gulf of Aqaba, according to the minister.

In addition, a conveyor will be extended to transfer desalinated water as well as a pipeline to dump the brine into the Dead Sea to stop its constant decline, estimated at one metre every year.

The Kingdom will receive additional 50mcm of water from the Lake Tiberias reservoir annually to be added to Jordan’s share of water from the desalination station to provide Aqaba with water, Nasser said.