The Jordan River Peace Park is an exciting ecotourism and cultural heritage project along the common border between the “Island of Peace” in Naharayim – Ashdot Yaakov, Bakoura and the Old Gesher site. It is a concrete first step towards rehabilitating the Jordan River. In cooperation with EcoPeace, the project is a joint venture between the Jordan Valley Regional Council, the Spring Valley Regional Council and the Jordanian Muaz Jabal Municipality, who have signed on a Memorandum of Understanding to develop this project. The project is supported by the Ministry of Tourism and the Israel Government Tourist Corporation.

A protected environmental park on both sides of the Jordan River will provide opportunities for the preservation of biodiversity, joint environmental management, collaborative research programs, cross-border environmental education, and expand economic opportunities for regional cooperation in ecotourism for the two countries.

The establishment of the future Jordan River Peace Park presents an important symbol for peace in the region and is a milestone in the special relationship forged at this site between Prince Abdullah and Pinchas Rutenberg with the establishment of the power plant in Naharayim.

The potential to develop the area for eco-tourism is outstanding due to the natural beauty of the area. Plans for the Peace Park include the re-flooding of the present day dry lake bed and creating a bird sanctuary. The lake will serve to attract the more than 500 million migratory birds that cross the Jordan River Valley twice annually. Developing bird watching facilities has great potential to bring a share of the estimated 60 million people in Europe and North America who spend time and money on this hobby to the region. Moreover, the old workers’ homes, located adjacent to the power plant, which were abandoned with the closing of the plant in 1948 and afford a magnificent view of the Jordan River and the lake, could be renovated as eco-lodges and the old power station converted into a visitors’ center.

The development of the Park will occur in stages.