ISRAEL-JORDAN PEACE TREATY
ANNEX II
WATER RELATED MATTERS
Pursuant to Article 6 of the Treaty, Israel and Jordan agreed on the
following Articles on water related matters:
Article I: Allocation
1. Water from the Yarmouk River
a. Summer period - 15th May to 15th October of each year. Israel
pumps (12) MCM and Jordan gets the rest of the flow.
b. Winter period - 16th October to 14th May of each year. Israel
pumps (13) MCM and Jordan is entitled to the rest of the flow
subject to provisions outlined hereinbelow: Jordan concedes to
Israel pumping an additional (20) MCM from the Yarmouk in winter
in return for Israel conceding to transferring to Jordan during
the summer period the quantity specified in paragraphs (2.a)
below from the Jordan River.
c. In order that waste of water will be minimized, Israel and Jordan
may use, downstream of point 121/Adassiya Diversion, excess flood
water that is not usable and will evidently go to waste unused.
2. Water from the Jordan River
a. Summer period - 15th May to 15th October of each year. In return
for the additional water that Jordan concedes to Israel in winter
in accordance with paragraph (1.b) above, Israel concedes to
transfer to Jordan in the summer period (20) MCM from the Jordan
River directly upstream from Deganya gates on the river. Jordan
shall pay the operation and maintenance cost of such transfer
through existing systems (not including capital cost) and shall
bear the total cost of any new transmission system. A separate
protocol shall regulate this transfer.
b. Winter period - 16th October to 14th May of each year. Jordan is
entitled to store for its use a minimum average of (20) MCM of
the floods in the Jordan River south of its confluence with the
Yarmouk (as outlined in Article II below). Excess floods that are
not usable and that will otherwise be wasted can be utilised for
the benefit of the two Parties including pumped storage off the
course of the river.
c. In addition to the above, Israel is entitled to maintain its
current uses of the Jordan River waters between its confluence
with the Yarmouk and its confluence with Tirat Zvi/Wadi Yabis.
Jordan is entitled to an annual quantity equivalent to that of
Israel, provided however, that Jordan's use will not harm the
quantity or quality of the above Israeli uses. The Joint Water
Committee (outlined in Article VII below) will survey existing
uses for documentation and prevention of appreciable harm.
d. Jordan is entitled to an annual quantity of (10) MCM of
desalinated water from the desalination of about (20) MCM of
saline springs now diverted to the Jordan River. Israel will
explore the possibility of financing the operation and
maintenance cost of the supply to Jordan of this desalinated
water (not including capital cost). Until the desalination
facilities are operational, and upon the entry into force of the
Treaty, Israel will supply Jordan (10) MCM of Jordan River water
from the same location as in (2.a) above, outside the summer
period and during dates Jordan selects, subject to the maximum
capacity of transmission.
3. Additional Water
Israel and Jordan shall cooperate in finding sources for the supply to
Jordan of an additional quantity of (50) MCM/year of water of
drinkable standards. To this end, the Joint Water Committee will
develop, within one year from the entry into force of the Treaty, a
plan for the supply to Jordan of the abovementioned additional water.
This plan will be forwarded to the respective governments for
discussion and decision.
4. Operation and Maintenance
a. Operation and maintenance of the systems on Israeli territory
that supply Jordan with water, and their electricity supply,
shall be Israel's responsibility. The operation and maintenance
of the new systems that serve only Jordan will be contracted at
Jordan's expense to authorities or companies selected by Jordan.
b. Israel will guarantee easy unhindered access of personnel and
equipment to such new systems for operation and maintenance. This
subject will be further detailed in the agreements to be signed
between Israel and the authorities or companies selected by
Jordan.
Article II: Storage
1. Israel and Jordan shall cooperate to build a diversion/storage dam on
the Yarmouk River directly downstream of the point 121/Adassiya
Diversion. The purpose is to improve the diversion efficiency into the
King Abdullah Canal of the water allocation of the Hashemite Kingdom
of Jordan, and possibly for the diversion of Israel's allocation of
the river water. Other purposes can be mutually agreed.
2. Israel and Jordan shall cooperate to build a system of water storage
on the Jordan River, along their common boundary, between its
confluence with the Yarmouk River and its confluence with Tirat Zvi/
Wadi Yabis, in order to implement the provision of paragraph (2.b) of
Article I above. The storage system can also be made to accommodate
more floods; Israel may use up to (3) MCM/year of added storage
capacity.
3. Other storage reservoirs can be discussed and agreed upon mutually.
Article III: Water Quality and Protection
1. Israel and Jordan each undertake to protect, within their own
jurisdiction, the shared waters of the Jordan and Yarmouk Rivers, and
Arava/Araba groundwater, against any pollution, contamination, harm or
unauthorized withdrawals of each other's allocations.
2. For this purpose, Israel and Jordan will jointly monitor the quality
of water along their boundary, by use of jointly established
monitoring stations to be operated under the guidance of the Joint
Water Committee.
3. Israel and Jordan will each prohibit the disposal of municipal and
industrial wastewater into the course of the Yarmouk or the Jordan
Rivers before they are treated to standards allowing their
unrestricted agricultural use. Implementation of this prohibition
shall be completed within three years from the entry into force of the
Treaty.
4. The quality of water supplied from one country to the other at any
given location shall be equivalent to the quality of the water used
from the same location by the supplying country.
5. Saline springs currently diverted to the Jordan River are earmarked
for desalination within four years. Both countries shall cooperate to
ensure that the resulting brine will not be disposed of in the Jordan
River or in any of its tributaries.
6. Israel and Jordan will each protect water systems in its own
territory, supplying water to the other, against any pollution,
contamination, harm or unauthorised withdrawal of each other's
allocations.
Article IV: Groundwater in Emek Ha'arava/Wadi Araba
1. In accordance with the provisions of this Treaty, some wells drilled
and used by Israel along with their associated systems fall on the
Jordanian side of the borders. These wells and systems are under
Jordan's sovereignty. Israel shall retain the use of these wells and
systems in the quantity and quality detailed an Appendix to this
Annex, that shall be jointly prepared by 31st December, 1994. Neither
country shall take, nor cause to be taken, any measure that may
appreciably reduce the yields of quality of these wells and systems.
2. Throughout the period of Israel's use of these wells and systems,
replacement of any well that may fail among them shall be licensed by
Jordan in accordance with the laws and regulations then in effect. For
this purpose, the failed well shall be treated as though it was
drilled under license from the competent Jordanian authority at the
time of its drilling. Israel shall supply Jordan with the log of each
of the wells and the technical information about it to be kept on
record. The replacement well shall be connected to the Israeli
electricity and water systems.
3. Israel may increase the abstraction rate from wells and systems in
Jordan by up to (10) MCM/year above the yields referred to in
paragraph 1 above, subject to a determination by the Joint Water
Committee that this undertaking is hydrogeologically feasible and does
not harm existing Jordanian uses. Such increase is to be carried out
within five years from the entry into force of the Treaty.
4. Operation and Maintenance
a. Operation and maintenance of the wells and systems on Jordanian
territory that supply Israel with water, and their electricity
supply shall be Jordan's responsibility. The operation and
maintenance of these wells and systems will be contracted at
Israel's expense to authorities or companies selected by Israel.
b. Jordan will guarantee easy unhindered access of personnel and
equipment to such wells and systems for operation and
maintenance. This subject will be further detailed in the
agreements to be signed between Jordan and the authorities or
companies selected by Israel.
Article V: Notification and Agreement
1. Artificial changes in or of the course of the Jordan and Yarmouk
Rivers can only be made by mutual agreement.
2. Each country undertakes to notify the other, six months ahead of time,
of any intended projects which are likely to change the flow of either
of the above rivers along their common boundary, or the quality of
such flow. The subject will be discussed in the Joint Water Committee
with the aim of preventing harm and mitigating adverse impacts such
projects may cause.
Article VI: Co-operation
1. Israel and Jordan undertake to exchange relevant data on water
resources through the Joint Water Committee.
2. Israel and Jordan shall co-operate in developing plans for purposes of
increasing water supplies and improving water use efficiency, within
the context of bilateral, regional or international cooperation.
Article VII: Joint Water Committee
1. For the purpose of the implementation of this Annex, the Parties will
establish a Joint Water Committee comprised of three members from each
country.
2. The Joint Water Committee will, with the approval of the respective
governments, specify its work procedures, the frequency of its
meetings, and the details of its scope of work. The Committee may
invite experts and/or advisors as may be required.
3. The Committee may form, as it deems necessary, a number of specialized
sub-committees and assign them technical tasks. In this context, it is
agreed that these sub-committees will include a northern sub-
committee and a southern sub-committee, for the management on the
ground of the mutual water resources in these sectors.
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