Nabatean Water Project
THE NABATEAN WATER PROJECT
Nabatean Water Project: a plan to restore the Negev Desert to agricultural and pastoral productivity. The areas brought back into production, as in ancient times, would serve as a resettlement area for the excess of immigrants in Israel and allow the native people (the Bedouins) to maintain their preferred way of living.
The first step is to establish a desalination plant of 300,000,000 cubic meters per year of water at Ashdod or nearby. The plant would be funded by Saudi Arabia and maintained under their auspices. Costs of production would be underwritten by the Saudis as their contribution to peace in the Middle East.
An aqueduct would take the water to the southern Negev Desert with a branch channel to the Gaza Strip.
Most of the water would go to areas that are now marginally arable or even non-arable, as long as there is the probability that water will bring productivity. A smaller but significant amount of water would go to those areas that cannot be tilled but could reasonably become pastoral lands. The pastoral lands would include areas that could have been agricultural production for private but not commercial use. These areas would be for the Bedouins and would be perpetual and inviolable.
The branch channel to the Gaza Strip would become the main source of water for Gaza.
The Gaza Strip presently overdraws its aquifer by a substantial amount and this cannot be maintained. A new, reliable source would allow the Gaza Strip inhabitants to improve their home, sanitation, and food stock situations.
The key will be to have the inhabitants of Gaza be reliant upon this new source. If anything threatens the new source, they will act as a self-policing entity.
Any threat against the desalination plant or the delivery system will result in a stoppage of water flow.
Israel will be entitled to stop the water upon any attack from forces antagonistic to its (Israel’s) existence, launched anywhere. A missile attack or suicide bomber will thus have serious consequences for the Gaza Strip.
All aspects of this project plan will be negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations. All agreements will be in writing and public.
Once the viability of the new arable lands is established, then it will be possible to relocate those people presently in the West Bank settlements. (No new settlers will be allowed into the West Bank as of the date the project agreement is signed.) All West Bank settlements must be evacuated by the Israelis unless there is prior written agreement among the cognizant authorities.
Nabatean Water Project: a plan to restore the Negev Desert to agricultural and pastoral productivity. The areas brought back into production, as in ancient times, would serve as a resettlement area for the excess of immigrants in Israel and allow the native people (the Bedouins) to maintain their preferred way of living.
The first step is to establish a desalination plant of 300,000,000 cubic meters per year of water at Ashdod or nearby. The plant would be funded by Saudi Arabia and maintained under their auspices. Costs of production would be underwritten by the Saudis as their contribution to peace in the Middle East.
An aqueduct would take the water to the southern Negev Desert with a branch channel to the Gaza Strip.
Most of the water would go to areas that are now marginally arable or even non-arable, as long as there is the probability that water will bring productivity. A smaller but significant amount of water would go to those areas that cannot be tilled but could reasonably become pastoral lands. The pastoral lands would include areas that could have been agricultural production for private but not commercial use. These areas would be for the Bedouins and would be perpetual and inviolable.
The branch channel to the Gaza Strip would become the main source of water for Gaza.
The Gaza Strip presently overdraws its aquifer by a substantial amount and this cannot be maintained. A new, reliable source would allow the Gaza Strip inhabitants to improve their home, sanitation, and food stock situations.
The key will be to have the inhabitants of Gaza be reliant upon this new source. If anything threatens the new source, they will act as a self-policing entity.
Any threat against the desalination plant or the delivery system will result in a stoppage of water flow.
Israel will be entitled to stop the water upon any attack from forces antagonistic to its (Israel’s) existence, launched anywhere. A missile attack or suicide bomber will thus have serious consequences for the Gaza Strip.
All aspects of this project plan will be negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations. All agreements will be in writing and public.
Once the viability of the new arable lands is established, then it will be possible to relocate those people presently in the West Bank settlements. (No new settlers will be allowed into the West Bank as of the date the project agreement is signed.) All West Bank settlements must be evacuated by the Israelis unless there is prior written agreement among the cognizant authorities.
Labels: Israel, Negev, Palestinians, Water
posted by Jack Cormode at 3:54 PM
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