The Jordan River, originating from the Mount Hermon and Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges, flows
from north to south and covers a distance of roughly 223 kilometers. At the end of its journey,
the Jordan River deposits its flow into a body of water known as the Dead Sea. Serving as the
primary source of inflowing water for the Dead Sea, the health of the Jordan River has direct
implications for the health of the Dead Sea.

The current status of the Jordan River is extremely poor, resulting from water mismanagement
and pollution issues. The list of states and territories which are currently diverting water from the
Jordan River from greatest to least quantity diverted are as follows: Israel, Jordan, Syria,
Lebanon, and Palestinian territories. It is estimated that the discharge of water flow from the
Jordan River into the Dead Sea has decreased from 1,300 MCM to 20-200 MCM (million cubic
meters) since the 1950’s. Furthermore, an estimated 4 MCM of treated wastewater flows into
the river each year as a result of agricultural practices and inadequate wastewater management
infrastructure. The flow rate reduction can largely be attributed to the practice of water diversion,
which refers to the practice of channeling water from a river into canals or pipelines. While this
practice is not implicitly harmful to the environment, a lack of alternative water sources and
growing populations in the region has increased the scale of water diversion practices along the
Jordan River to an unsustainable level.

There are multiple factors attributing to the over-diversion of water from the Jordan River. One
significant factor is the trend of population growth in the region, which is further compounded by
the evermore present effects of climate change. This undeniably results in a greater demand for
water, putting a greater strain on the Jordan River. Another factor, which limits the region’s
ability to reduce water diversion practices are the strained relationships among states which
divert water from the Jordan. A history of wars and poor communication lines between states,
make any efforts to cooperate on restoring the Jordan River difficult to initiate and lack
accountability. Furthermore, water that is diverted is not always used efficiently. To use the state
of Jordan as an example, it is estimated that of all water supplied to their urban systems, 50% of
that water is lost due to leaks, theft, and metering errors.

Despite these limiting factors, there are signs of progress toward a healthier Jordan River being
achieved. Recently, at COP27, Israel and Jordan have issued a joint declaration of intent to
cooperate on restoration efforts for the Jordan River. While the declaration is mostly concerned
with reducing pollution of the river, this news serves as a signifier of willingness to overcome
complicated histories and cooperate towards implementing more sustainable practices.
Cooperation and recognition of this issue as necessary of immediate action will lay the
foundation for this region’s ability to rectify environmental issues regarding the Jordan River, and
ultimately, the Dead Sea.

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