Dead Sea, Jordan
Friends of the Earth Middle East, on Friday, May 16th, introduced US congressmen and J Street Delegates, an American Jewish advocacy group that supports a two states solution to bring an end to Palestinian- Israeli conflict, to the complex geopolitical and environmental issues that surround the region’s transboundary environmental resources through an in depth look at the Jordan Valley.
Throughout a site visit to the Mouth of the Jordan River, Mr., Munqeth Mehyar FoEMEs Jordanian Director highlighted the importance of sustainable management of the region’s natural resources and the means through which they can serve as a catalyst towards wider peacemaking efforts. He also stressed the importance of cooperative management and elaborated on how such frameworks can be part of a future settlement between Israel and Palestine.
His Excellency Mr., Saed Abu Hamour Secretary General of the Jordan Valley Authority who accompanied the tour explained about the critical water situation in Jordan and the Syrian refugee influx effects on the kingdoms limited water resources. He highlighted the importance of cooperation between governmental bodies and NGOs and commended the important role FoEME is playing in the region regarding transboundary water issues as well as its efforts to improve the sanitation system in the Jordan Valley.
The delegates headed by Congressman Earl Blumenauer from Oregon, Congressman Lloyd Doggett from Texas, and Mr., Jeremy Ben-Ami President of J Street then visited Princess Basmah Community Center in South Shuna for lunch and discussion whereby they were briefed about the importance of shared water management, the urgent need to rehabilitate the Jordan River thus saving the Dead Sea, and the Water Crisis in Gaza. In this regard Mr., Gidon Bromberg FoEMEs Israeli director explained that the Gaza water and sanitation crisis can be detrimental to peace in the region and called for immediate solutions.
This post is contributed by Samar M. Salma, FoEMEs Media & PR Officer at the Amman Office.