Jordan River |
environment
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Located in the Middle East, the Jordan River is a critical water source that runs through Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. The river is generally divided into two halves: the Upper Jordan and the Lower Jordan. The Upper Jordan receives 50% of its water from three springs, the Dan, the Hasbani, and the Baniyas, with the other half coming from runoff during the rainy season (Reuger). The Lower Jordan mainly gets water from the Yarmuk River, which serves as the border between Syria and the Kingdom of Jordan, and then eventually flows into the Dead Sea. With an average yearly rainfall of just 10-29 inches (Reuger), the Jordan heavily influences what plant, animal, and human life is able to survive in the middle of this vast desert. Today, the Middle East holds 1% of the world’s water, yet 5% of the world’s population lives there; oftentimes, water is more valued than oil in the Middle East (Brooks). Water is a precious and rare resource in desert, and the Jordan River, one of the Middle East’s main supplies, is not only drying up, but is also becoming undrinkable and unusable. Humans have interacted with and depended on the river for thousands of years, relying on the Jordan’s water for agriculture and day-to-day life. Zooming in and out throughout history, I hope to provide a comprehensive explanation of the Jordan River and its role in the environment throughout time.
Humans & The Jordan
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One of the first sites that show signs of human civilization in the Middle East is the Tel Dan excavation site in Israel. Evidence of urbanization at Tel Dan can be traced back to the Neolithic Era (~4500 BCE), and people were settled there till the Roman Period (Maeir). The location of Tel Dan was ideal for sustaining life. The Jordan River passes right through the ancient city, allowing for lush vegetation to grow in an otherwise barren desert surrounding it. Tel Dan was located right in the middle of the “Fertile Crescent,” the foothills of the Middle East that are between the desert and the mountains (Speth). This area was ideal for human life, and allowed for cities and towns and villages to establish. The people who lived in Tel Dan relied on the river for fishing and going through daily life.
One of the major reasons humans have relied so much on the Jordan River throughout history is for agriculture. Water is the gift of life, and critical to the growth of any crops. Due to rapid population growth and the emergence of modern technology in the twentieth century, agriculture rapidly expanded. Today, 73% of the Jordan River’s water is used for agriculture throughout the northwestern region of the Middle East (Vesilind). In 1995, the Kingdom of Jordan had 73,000 hectares equipped for irrigation, a 114% increase since 1970. Syria has similar statistics; the number of hectares of irrigation land grew by 181% to 1,267,000 hectares by 2000 (Bucknall). Although the burst in agriculture has expanded the Middle Eastern economy, agriculture is one of the leading causes that is destroying the river. The Jordan River and the agricultural industry are in a destructive symbiotic relationship. The Jordan River is the main provider for much of the Middle East’s agriculture. However, the growing Middle Eastern agriculture industry is sucking water out of the river and simultaneously pumping harmful pollutants into the river, such as manure and fertilizer, which are destroying the river’s ecosystem.
A Dying River & Its implications
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“Nations like Israel and Jordan are swiftly sliding into that zone where they are using all the water resources available to them. They have only fifteen to twenty years left before their agriculture, and ultimately their food security, is threatened,” says Joyce Starr, a member of the Global Water Summit Initiative (Vesilind). In a detrimental cycle, countries are depleting the water of the Jordan, panicking, then scrambling to dam up “their” part of the river. One of the most controversial water projects of the Jordan River was the National Water Carrier of Israel. Completed in 1964, the National Water Carrier transfers water from the Sea of Galiliee to high-population areas of Israel. The National Water Carrier sparked political tensions between Israel and its neighbors Jordan and Syria, who argued that Israel was taking more than its fair share of the Jordan’s water (Reuger). This is only one of many “water wars” that have flared up across the Middle East in the past few decades, which are caused by countries scrambling to lay claim to a dwindling water supply.
In a 1997 study titled “Grazing Management of the Mediterranean Foothill Range in the Upper Jordan River Valley,” cattle grazing patterns and their effects on the environment were analyzed over a ten-year period. Environmentalists Mario Gutman and No’am Seligman focused on the Karei Deshe area, which is a part of the Mediterranean steppes in Israel. Due to the rocky landscape, modern farming techniques are not usually possible. For centuries, camels, horses, donkeys, cattle, goats, and sheep have grazed extensively across the Upper Jordan River Valley. The agriculture here is both made possible by the Jordan River, yet also shapes the landscape around the Jordan. In the study, they analyzed the soil composition and plant life of the grazing ranges. Four years prior to starting the study, they measured the seasonal rainfall and vegetation quantities to determine a base measurement to compare their findings to. Then, for ten years they observed and recorded how rotational grazing versus continuous grazing affected the vegetation. It was found that the grass grew back faster and, in many cases, in more abundance than previously when using rotational grazing than continuous. This study shows how agriculture is shaped by the environment, and the environment is shaped by agriculture.
“Nations like Israel and Jordan are swiftly sliding into that zone where they are using all the water resources available to them. They have only fifteen to twenty years left before their agriculture, and ultimately their food security, is threatened,” says Joyce Starr, a member of the Global Water Summit Initiative (Vesilind). In a detrimental cycle, countries are depleting the water of the Jordan, panicking, then scrambling to dam up “their” part of the river. One of the most controversial water projects of the Jordan River was the National Water Carrier of Israel. Completed in 1964, the National Water Carrier transfers water from the Sea of Galiliee to high-population areas of Israel. The National Water Carrier sparked political tensions between Israel and its neighbors Jordan and Syria, who argued that Israel was taking more than its fair share of the Jordan’s water (Reuger). This is only one of many “water wars” that have flared up across the Middle East in the past few decades, which are caused by countries scrambling to lay claim to a dwindling water supply. As Elias Salameh from the University of Jordan said, “The cake is the same size; we cannot enlarge it.” Salaemeh recommends that countries use its water supply for domestic purposes first, and then use the rest for irrigation, which is the opposite of the current system. Historically, the river’s annual flow has been 1,300 million cubic meters (MCM); by 2009, that number had dropped to 20-30 MCM (de Chatel).
With so many countries dependent on the Jordan River for fresh water, a dry river would certainly have dire consequences. Israel receives 35% of its fresh water from the Jordan (Vesilind). Much of the Middle East would have to find new sources of fresh water; biodiversity on both land and sea would be dramatically reduced and much of the Fertile Crescent would disappear. It is crucial that the Middle East find a way to effectively manage and conserve the water supply of the Jordan River.
In a 1997 study titled “Grazing Management of the Mediterranean Foothill Range in the Upper Jordan River Valley,” cattle grazing patterns and their effects on the environment were analyzed over a ten-year period. Environmentalists Mario Gutman and No’am Seligman focused on the Karei Deshe area, which is a part of the Mediterranean steppes in Israel. Due to the rocky landscape, modern farming techniques are not usually possible. For centuries, camels, horses, donkeys, cattle, goats, and sheep have grazed extensively across the Upper Jordan River Valley. The agriculture here is both made possible by the Jordan River, yet also shapes the landscape around the Jordan. In the study, they analyzed the soil composition and plant life of the grazing ranges. Four years prior to starting the study, they measured the seasonal rainfall and vegetation quantities to determine a base measurement to compare their findings to. Then, for ten years they observed and recorded how rotational grazing versus continuous grazing affected the vegetation. It was found that the grass grew back faster and, in many cases, in more abundance than previously when using rotational grazing than continuous. This study shows how agriculture is shaped by the environment, and the environment is shaped by agriculture.
“Nations like Israel and Jordan are swiftly sliding into that zone where they are using all the water resources available to them. They have only fifteen to twenty years left before their agriculture, and ultimately their food security, is threatened,” says Joyce Starr, a member of the Global Water Summit Initiative (Vesilind). In a detrimental cycle, countries are depleting the water of the Jordan, panicking, then scrambling to dam up “their” part of the river. One of the most controversial water projects of the Jordan River was the National Water Carrier of Israel. Completed in 1964, the National Water Carrier transfers water from the Sea of Galiliee to high-population areas of Israel. The National Water Carrier sparked political tensions between Israel and its neighbors Jordan and Syria, who argued that Israel was taking more than its fair share of the Jordan’s water (Reuger). This is only one of many “water wars” that have flared up across the Middle East in the past few decades, which are caused by countries scrambling to lay claim to a dwindling water supply. As Elias Salameh from the University of Jordan said, “The cake is the same size; we cannot enlarge it.” Salaemeh recommends that countries use its water supply for domestic purposes first, and then use the rest for irrigation, which is the opposite of the current system. Historically, the river’s annual flow has been 1,300 million cubic meters (MCM); by 2009, that number had dropped to 20-30 MCM (de Chatel).
With so many countries dependent on the Jordan River for fresh water, a dry river would certainly have dire consequences. Israel receives 35% of its fresh water from the Jordan (Vesilind). Much of the Middle East would have to find new sources of fresh water; biodiversity on both land and sea would be dramatically reduced and much of the Fertile Crescent would disappear. It is crucial that the Middle East find a way to effectively manage and conserve the water supply of the Jordan River.
Thousands of people travel to make the pilgrimage to the Jordan River. Religious pilgrimages are a major source of tourism for Israel, but in recent years environmentalists have cautioned the pilgrims about immersing themselves in the water because of extreme pollution in the river. The Jordan River represents purity and salvation, but nowadays the river is unsafely muddied with feces, fertilizer, and other pollutants, mostly from agriculture. The video below shows how the environmental issues of the Jordan River directly impact the religious experience and conflict with the symbolism behind the river.
CASe Studies
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Looking at case studies of other rivers around the world help us to better understand the dynamics of the Jordan River. Located in China, the Yangtze River is the third longest river in the world. Like the Jordan, the Yangtze is divided into two sections, the upper course and the lower course. The Yangtze provides water for half of all of China’s crop growth (Greer). However, the Three Gorges Dam, built from 2003-2012, has led to severe environmental issues. Erosion, carbon dioxide emissions, and earthquakes are all major issues that have developed since the installation of the dam. Just like how humans settled in the Tel Dan area in Israel during the Middle Bronze Age because of its access to the Jordan River, during "prehistory" people in China settled in cities along rivers, not ocean coast (de Pee). These riverside walled settlements eventually led to the grand, complex cities of the Shang, Han, and Tan Dynasties. Cities such as the Shang Dynasty's Anyang were heavily planned prior to being built, taking into account the way the landscape was set out: the north-south orientation and the natural landforms such as mountains and rivers (de Pee). The city was built around nature, reflecting the cultural beliefs and values of Chinese society and dictated their lifestyle and culture that still pervades today.
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Like the Jordan and the Yangtze rivers, the Ganges in India and Bangladesh also suffers from extreme pollution problems. The Ganges holds religious significance for Hindus and millions of people depend on the river for their livelihood. Unfortunately, sections of the river have begun to dry up and untreated human sewage is dumped into the river each day. It is a health hazard to all that live near the river (Ahmad). The presence of the Ganges has shaped the trade and professions of those who live around the river, as fishing and agriculture is a major part of India's economy. The Ganges River Basin has some of the world's most fertile soil, and is also a popular pilgrimage destination.
Works Cited
Ahmad, Nafis. "Ganges River." In Encyclopaedia Britannica. N.p.: n.p., 2014.
Brooks, In Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan, 2004.
Bucknall, Julia, comp. Making the Most of Scarcity: Accountability for Better Water Management Results in the Middle East and North Africa. Washington DC: World Bank, 2007.
de Châtel, Francesca. "Baptized in the Jordan: Restoring a Holy River." Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective 7, no. 12 (September 2014).
de Pee, Christian. "The Chinese City from Ritual Grid to Living Organism." Lecture, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, March 30, 2015.
Farber, Efrat, Avner Vengosh, Ittai Gavrieli, Amer Marie, Thomas D. Bullen, Bernhard Mayer, Ran Holtzman, Michal Segal, and Uri Shavit. The Origin and Mechanisms of Salinization of the Lower Jordan River. Beer Sheva, Israel: Ben Gurion University, 2003.
Gafny, Sarig, Samer Talozi, Banan Al Sheikh, and Elizabeth Ya'ari. Towards a Living Jordan River: An Environmental Flows Report on the Rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River. N.p.: EcoPeace/Friends of the Middle East, 2010.
Gutman, Mario, and No'Am G. Seligman. "Grazing Management of Mediterranean Foothill Range in the Upper Jordan River Valley." Journal of Range Management 32, no. 2 (March 1997): 86-92.
Greer, Charles E. "Yangtze River." In Encyclopaedia Britannica. N.p.: n.p., 2014.
Maeir, Aren M. In the Midst of the Jordan: The Jordan Valley during the Middle Bronze Age (circa 2000-1500 BC): Archaeological and Historical Correlates. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences, 2010.
Reuger, Sara. "Jordan River." In Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan, 2004.
Speth, John. “Farming and Settling Down: The Origins of Agriculture and Sedentism.” Lecture, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, February 25, 2015
Vesilind, Priit J. "Water: The Middle East's Critical Resource." National Geographic, May 1993, 38-70.
Brooks, In Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan, 2004.
Bucknall, Julia, comp. Making the Most of Scarcity: Accountability for Better Water Management Results in the Middle East and North Africa. Washington DC: World Bank, 2007.
de Châtel, Francesca. "Baptized in the Jordan: Restoring a Holy River." Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective 7, no. 12 (September 2014).
de Pee, Christian. "The Chinese City from Ritual Grid to Living Organism." Lecture, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, March 30, 2015.
Farber, Efrat, Avner Vengosh, Ittai Gavrieli, Amer Marie, Thomas D. Bullen, Bernhard Mayer, Ran Holtzman, Michal Segal, and Uri Shavit. The Origin and Mechanisms of Salinization of the Lower Jordan River. Beer Sheva, Israel: Ben Gurion University, 2003.
Gafny, Sarig, Samer Talozi, Banan Al Sheikh, and Elizabeth Ya'ari. Towards a Living Jordan River: An Environmental Flows Report on the Rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River. N.p.: EcoPeace/Friends of the Middle East, 2010.
Gutman, Mario, and No'Am G. Seligman. "Grazing Management of Mediterranean Foothill Range in the Upper Jordan River Valley." Journal of Range Management 32, no. 2 (March 1997): 86-92.
Greer, Charles E. "Yangtze River." In Encyclopaedia Britannica. N.p.: n.p., 2014.
Maeir, Aren M. In the Midst of the Jordan: The Jordan Valley during the Middle Bronze Age (circa 2000-1500 BC): Archaeological and Historical Correlates. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences, 2010.
Reuger, Sara. "Jordan River." In Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan, 2004.
Speth, John. “Farming and Settling Down: The Origins of Agriculture and Sedentism.” Lecture, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, February 25, 2015
Vesilind, Priit J. "Water: The Middle East's Critical Resource." National Geographic, May 1993, 38-70.