"Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians Agree on One Issue- Saving the Dead Sea Basin".

Speakers at the conference highlighted the tragedy befalling the Dead Sea due to uncoordinated development. Over the last 50 years the level of the Dead Sea has dropped by some 40 meters and is continuing to fall at a rate approaching one meter per year. The water diversion projects upstream and the impact of the potash industry in the south have lead to nearly one third of the basin disappearing, said EcoPeace Palestinian Director Ayman Rabi.

Plans for tourism development to be scattered every few kilometers around the Dead Sea further threaten the natural attraction of the Basin. The conference succeeded in building consensus between all the participants that the tragedy befalling the Dead Sea is contrary to everyones' interests and that there was an urgent need to conduct an integrated plan for the Dead Sea that would both promote development while protect the Sea. "The tourism industry in particular was identified as a potential strategic partner to protect the Dead Sea if it could be convinced to concentrate tourism development in the north and south of the Basin", said EcoPeace Israeli Director Gidon Bromberg. "It is essential to keep large scale development away from the highly fragile Eastern and Western corridors of the Dead Sea particularly in the vicinity of Ein Gedi and Mujeb (Arnon) as currently planned".

The success of the conference in building a consensus for the need for a regional integrated plan, was followed by agreement to create a non-governmental committee of leading personalities from the region to lobby our governments, to re-think their plans for the Dead Sea Basin. The conference as a whole highlighted at a time of continuing frustration over the peace process that environmental issue can not wait and must be dealt with in a cooperative and coordinated fashion.

For more information, please contact EcoPeace:
T: +972 2 6260841/3 Fax: +972 2 6260840

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EcoPeace
PO Box 55302, E. Jerusalem 97400
T: +972 2 6260841/3 Fax: +972 2 6260840
Email to: EcoPeace@netvision.net.il