The main objective of this project is to develop the scientific basis for an integral management plan of water resources and their use in the Jordan Valley. The project has started in November 1997 and will be completed by early 2001.

The project will address the difficult situation of water scarcity and increased demand in the Jordan Valley study region by synthesizing the available data through advanced geographic information systems (GIS) and models. Key principles of this project’s approach are:

• comprehensive scientific view of the water resources and use in the Jordan Valley as a whole;
• systematic collection and integration of existing data for data synthesis, modeling and assessment;
• projection of likely socio-economic development to identify sustainable management directions and associated water use;
• free flow of project relevant information between the project partners;
• presentation of scientific results in practically applicable formats.

The basis of the work is the collection and harmonization of basic data on the water supply and demand system in the region. The current irrigation, water collection, and delivery practices in all three bordering countries are analyzed. A set of models is applied in order to be able to assess and project the consequences of current management practices, and to evaluate options for improved availability of water resources. These results are evaluated in view of the expected socio-economic development in the region. Through high-level synthesis of results the project will be able to provide options for policy makers for the optimization of management regimes.