Drought diplomacy boosts Israel-Jordan ties

Israel and Jordan poised for unprecedented boom in water cooperation amid increasing climate pressures.

As scientific warnings of dire climate change-induced drought grow, many in Israel and Jordan cast worried eyes at the river running between them and the critical but limited resources they share. This month, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report (PDF) showed unequivocally that the climate is changing faster than previously feared, heaping pressure on finite water supplies even as demands grow greater than ever before. But, experts say, instead of the pressure provoking arguments, Israel and Jordan could be poised for an unprecedented boom in water cooperation amid technological advancements and climate pressures.