History of the Mediterranean to Dead Sea Initiative

Med-Dead Projects have been on the Drawing Boards for over 2581 years

The first recorded Med-Dead project started with the vision of the Biblical Prophet named Ezekiel in the book named after him, the 47th chapter in verses 6-12. The prophet saw a large waterway that brought water from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea, where he saw a thriving fishing industry in the Dead Sea from En Gedi to north to En Eglian (Ein Feshka). The Prophet Ezekiel is revered by religious traditions of Muslims, Christians and Jews.

The Dead Sea is Dying

The demise of the Dead Sea presents a unique opportunity for cooperation between Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians. Over the last 40 years the Dead Sea has lost a third of its surface area and it continues to drop in depth by over a meter on average every year. This is a man-made problem due mostly to upstream water diversion. It is important to note that Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian government representatives have identified the issue of “Saving the Dead Sea” as a national priority.

Based on government and public opinion it is now clear that an opportunity for trilateral cooperation presently exists. In order to advance this momentum, cooperation should allow for Palestinian beneficiaries of the Water & Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development.

As an emerging economy, Palestinians must secure their viability with (1) water for human consumption and irrigation, (2) an adequate electrical power supply, and (3) the necessary infrastructure to protect the environment. No national entity can survive without these elements. < READ MORE

In the 1980’s the Israeli government’s Science Minister Yuval Neeman commissioned The Seas Project which studied five routes. This study was to find ways to save the Dead Sea which looses 3 meters of total surface water annually. The choice of this study in 1983 was the southmost route. The political climate at that time proved too difficult and the Seas Project was abandoned in 1984.

Today, the Dead Sea has lost a third of its surface area in the past 40-years and has become one of the worse man-made environmental crisis in the world. The Jordan River Valley and Dead Sea region now must find new sources of water and power to sustain its growing population needs.

In 2008, the Mediterranean-Dead Sea Project concept was developed to “Save the Dead Sea” and also meet the growing water and energy needs of the people in this region.

The Med-Dead Cooperative Initiative (MDCI) has adopted the Mediterranean-Dead Sea Project as the catalyst to bring about a fresh new workable Win-Win-Win Prosperity for Cooperation option for all parties in this contentious region of the world.