Israel, Jordan, PA re-commit to Red-Dead canal

About a week ago, Jordan hosted a meeting near the Dead Sea of the technical steering committee for the "Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Study Program". At the meeting, which was chaired by a representative of the World Bank and attended by representatives of Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the members of the committee " reiterated their joint commitment to the successful and timely completion of the Study Program, given the acute water shortage in the region and the continued decline in the level of the Dead Sea."

The Technical Steering Committee confirmed during the meeting that the ongoing Study Program would examine the options for phased implementation of potential infrastructure for the proposed Red Sea - Dead Sea canal, as well as a possible pilot program for testing the mixing of water from the Red Sea and Dead Sea.

The committee will also study alternatives, and appoint an independent expert panel. Further World Bank involvement beyond the completion of the Study Program will depend on its outcome and is a matter of discussion with the three beneficiary parties.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 28, 2009

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