Case study - Water transfers, Turkey to Israel

Question 1

Reasons why, demand and Turkey’s role

Answer 1

1. Israel’s Hydrological Service has warned that country’s water reserves being severely stretched as aquifers become salinized + water levels in Sea of Galilee fall
2. demand currently at 1.5 bil m3 per year3
3. Turkey appears to have surplus water = could be taken from Mangavat River and sold to Israel

Question 2

Timeline

Answer 2

DEC 2001 - Israel + Turkey plan undersea water pipeline link via Northern Cyprus
AUG 2002 - Israel begins talks with Turkey to import 50mil m3 of treated water each year using tankers
JULY 2004 - Syria objects to Turkish plans as Turkey built reservoirs that retain water along Tigris + Euphrates
MAY 2005 - Israel + Turkey discuss once again possibility of undersea pipeline
APRIL 2006 - water pipeline deal scrapped fear of terrorism grows + cost of desalinating seawater fall
JUNE 2007 - Turkey proposes ‘peace bridge’ overland pipeline to link all Middle East states
JULY 2008 - official figures suggest Turkey experiencing increasing drought + water shortages of own = outcome of global warming and poor management