| CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS 1996 | |
|
|
The Oslo II
Agreement on Water and the Implications on Future
Negotiations and Plans
|
SUMMARY
The Harvard University Middle East Water Project has been conducting studies and meetings to learn about the water situation in the Middle East, in order to facilitate practically feasible and mutually acceptable solutions to the current disputes between the Palestinians, Israel and Jordan. The committee's primary conclusions are that water for human consumption does not present a serious problem for the future, and the members predicted that household water costs will not rise substantially. Indeed, the total value of the water (its opportunity cost) disputed in even the most pessimistic projections is quite small in relation to the region's economies. On the other hand, agriculture presents more of a problem. Ensuring sufficient water for agriculture will necessitate improvements in infrastructure and recycling facilities.
The Project Committee recommended that water rights not be distributed as exclusive property, but rather that shares that can be bought and sold should be allocated. Thus supply and demand will regulate many important water issues. The main recommendations were to improve infrastructure and to coordinate national policies. It was emphasized that workable solutions involving investments in infrastructure and subsidies can be reached if the region's governments make wise decisions.