H. E. Kamal Mahadin, Jordanian Minister of Water and Irrigation, declared that when it comes to water in the Middle East "sharing is the basis of our survival" and "regional cooperation is the key to stability, growth and peace". He also clearly indicated that Jordan will not be able to solve her water problems alone but will need both regional solidarity and international assistance. These notions were reflected by the words of H. E. Nabil El Sherif, Head of the Palestinian Water Authority, who called for the recognition and protection of the rights of all the people in the region and for joint management to establish and implement common needs. He stated that feelings of deprivation are an unsustainable basis for any agreement and that rights are the key to peace. Both of these national representatives announced their commitment to regional cooperation in water management; to improve the lives of the people and to support the Peace Process.

Green Cross International presented a vision of regional cooperation based on the concept of the unity of the river basin. The interdependencies in the hydraulic cycle dictate that any unilateral action to preserve shared water will be greatly limited in its effectiveness if not coordinated with the actions of fellow basin states. The water problem in the Jordan Valley and the whole Middle East has reached an extent beyond the scope of any individual state or people to solve. Basin-wide action is therefore imperative and will install greater security and trust amongst the different inhabitants of the region. National sovereignty should be used as a tool rather than a barrier in the integrated management of shared waters as the common ecosystem demands the greatest possible degree of cooperation between the different Peoples.

It was largely agreed between the participants that the water issue has the potential to become either an avenue of conflict or cooperation. In the interest of everyone in the region, efforts must be made towards greater cooperation to improve the daily lives of people during the transition period. Water is key to the economic development of the region and the advancement of its people; the current water availability will not be able to accommodate any level of growth. Shared water creates a natural link which should be exploited to enhance all areas of cooperation.

Figures clearly show that without a concrete and large-scale regional strategy, current water shortage problems will reach crisis levels in the next 10-20 years. Even now, according to the 1998 GTZ study, there is a deficit of about 170m³, which unfortunately is largely made up for by serious inequity of water supply among the different people of the region. This present deficit is also causing the unsustainable use of groundwater resources. Growing demand, largely as a result of population growth, is leading to a shrinking amount of water per capita under existing systems of use, distribution and water supply. Water scarcity is a global problem, but nowhere are its effects felt as acutely as in this region; ensuring sustainable water supplies in the Middle East is considered one of the most critical problems facing the region and is a major concern for all the Governments and people in the Jordan Valley. The short and long-term resolution of water issues in the region will contribute towards consolidating the Peace. Any effort directed to this end will directly assist the recently re-started Peace Process.

A great deal of time was spent on examining potential solutions. Discussions covered the topics of demand-side management, including water conservation and water recycling and reuse. Another domain of deep concern was the possibility of increasing supply by augmenting the amount of water available through the desalination of sea and brackish water.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Palestinian National Authority presented their agricultural water strategies. Agriculture in Palestine is both the largest water consumer, accounting for 70%, and the major productive sector. The geopolitical situation in Palestine is such that there is a desire to reduce food dependency and consequently to increase national production based on available local resources of land and water. The expansion of irrigated agriculture is seen as the most viable option to satisfy the national food requirements but water resources are scarce. Irrigated water is supplied from wells and springs, as the only river water, the Jordan River, is unavailable. The strategy includes: the utilisation of waste and low quality water for certain crops; maximisation of commercial returns from agriculture through crop and land selection; increasing productivity through modernisation and better equipment; education of farmers in water issues; and careful allocation of the best quality water to high yield crops and for the flushing of soils. The securing of Palestinian water rights is central to the strategy.

The Peres Center for Peace presented a solution based on water saving itself as the new source of water, primarily through greater efficiency of water use in agriculture. There is a significant dependence in the arid Middle East between agricultural development and drinking water availability and quality. Water savings can be achieved, using existing technology, through the transition to protected, intensive and more sophisticated agriculture based on a higher production per square metre. This would change the current equilibrium in the entire Middle East, where agriculture is by far the greatest water user, claiming up to 70% of the total use, and both release more water for domestic and other uses and remove water as the main limiting factor in agricultural development. This agricultural transition would be developed in conjunction with political efforts for regional and inter-regional cooperation, international assistance and joint ventures.

The Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation presented a proposal comprising three components: 1) aggressive demand management; 2) use of natural and manmade storage and distribution mechanisms to achieve equity; 3) rapid increase the supply of fresh water through massive region-wide desalination. The focus of the proposal was overwhelmingly on desalination, which has become more affordable in recent years. The result of this $ 1.65 billion project would be an additional 550 m³/yr, at an average price of $0.50 per m³. 300 m³/yr of this total would be for Israel, for whom desalination is already a national priority.

Wide and extensive discussions took place on the question of desalination and reliable technical solutions were proposed by participants. It was noted that the cost of water transportation should be included in the estimated cost of desalination. Depending on the distance covered by water pipes, the cost of transportation could be $0.2 - 0.5 / m³.

Other ideas raised were: water exchanges; better water pricing; reducing losses through improved municipal distribution; reallocation of water to different sectors; and all the benefits which can be gleaned from joint ventures.

The fundamental question is how to reconcile all the parties’ water priorities into a regional vision. Transparency, confidence building and public awareness are all essential to the development and achievement of any regional solution. To this end it is vital that any vision be formulated through the participation and ideas of as representative a group as possible from all parts of the region and the different stakeholder groups. Solutions such as the transfer of water out of agriculture and massive desalination are all politically charged and need to be evaluated from all perspectives.

The institutional dimension to the problem is linked to the identification of the most effective technical means of solving the regional water problem. Several suggestions were made for joint bodies to oversee and advise on water issues, such as a "Regional Water Resources Commission" consisting of several eminent individuals and a team of experts, and an "Emergency Relief Task Force" for the development of relief procedures at the national and regional levels. These could be complemented by an agreement on a "Strategic Regional Action Plan", the identification of confidence building measures, a "Public Awareness Campaign" and special regional water management university courses.

This was less a separate topic for discussion than an introduction of a tool which can be used for all problem evaluation and the search for solutions. It was suggested that the use of scenarios to imagine long term visions of the future of water in the Middle East could be a useful means of determining both the optimum solutions and the best means and most appropriate strategies for reaching them. The scenario building process is a complementary tool of the hard computerised projected models used mainly for the projection of the future under different sets of assumptions.

The environment must be respected as a water user. Water scarcity has led to serious over-pumping of aquifers in the region beyond their recharge rates. Many of these aquifers are shared, and their permanent depletion could develop into a cause of conflict if not addressed. There are also widespread problems of land erosion, salt water intrusion in coastal areas and increased pressures from urbanisation. The fragile natural environment must be considered in any proposal as when properly managed it is both a water user and a water generator.

The large desalination proposal raised particular environmental questions related to increased energy consumption, air pollution, siting of plants, disposal of brine residue and increased soil salination.

Interesting comparisons were identified relating both to technological developments (for example desalination in Tampa Bay, Florida), and the political question of sharing river basins (for example the Colorado, Euphrates, Nile and Indus Rivers).

There was very strong participation from the private sector at the workshop, who were helpful in providing up-to-date statistics and a realistic view of the economic possibilities in the region. Also present were representatives from the World Bank and potential donor countries interested in the Middle East and particularly the Peace Process. What is certain is that timing is of the essence. There is increased interest and confidence in the region due to the recently reinvigorated Peace Process.

The participants recognised that international financing is essential to any solution as the economic situation in the region is not conducive on its own to the realisation of peace.