Israel can harness its water technology to improve international relations

Israel nearly ran out of water in 2008. A 500-million-cubic-meter shortfall of water supply, caused by a 10-year drought, meant that the Sea of Galilee, the largest freshwater source in Israel, was overburdened by demand from consumers. It petered on the brink of salt infiltration.

Over the next few years, though, Israel expanded and developed its desalination and water recapture technology. By constructing, among others, the Hadera and Sorek II desalination plants in 2009 and 2013, an extra 600 million cubic meters of water was generated for Israel. The introduction of low-flow toilet facilities in 2007 and improved water treatment plants further led to 86% of Israeli wastewater being used in irrigation. Now, Israel has a water surplus and is at the forefront of creating sustainable water.

The reason for Israel’s success in generating water is multifaceted. Geopolitical tensions with neighbouring Syria and Lebanon, as well as climate change that disproportionately impacts the Middle East’s natural water reserves, have meant that Israel has had to enhance preexisting technology to create new sources of water. With significant geopolitical and environmental challenges, neighbouring Arab nations and the UK should learn from Israel’ssuccess and work with Israeli companies to improve water security.

Desalination works by forcing seawater into membranes, which consist of microscopic pores. The process traps molecules of salt, creating clean water. Israel has been at the forefront of water reclamation since 1969, when Shafdan, a wastewater treatment facility near Tel Aviv, treated wastewater for agricultural reuse. Since then, the nation has pioneered the world’s best water treatment facilities, being the first country in 2016 to use no chemicals in the desalination process by utilizing lava stones to catch microorganisms in advance of them reaching the membranes.

Israel’s technological success with water security can be attributed to a synergy between government policy, engineering expertise, and private capital. The 2012 National Long-term Master Plan for the Water Sector, for example, gave water companies an action plan for challenges, which coupled with Israel’s consistently high expenditure on environmental protection, £2.15 billion in 2023, has resulted in a stable national policy that has promoted developments from the private sector. Such a framework is appealing to water companies and engineers, who have invested heavily in Israeli water security. IDE Technologies is a case in point; in 2013, it constructed the world’s largest desalination plant, Sorek II, after receiving finance from the ECB and institutional investors. It is no surprise that this Israeli-based company that attracts the best engineers developed the Carlsbad desalination plant in California.

As the Middle East succumbs to the ill effects of climate change, Israel is thus in the unique position that it can work with its Arab neighbors to improve regional water security. These actions would hopefully start a geopolitical reset.

Neighbouring Syria is currently suffering from a food and water security crisis caused by a lack of rainfall and poor water treatment facilities, while Jordan’s unreliable infrastructure means that they have to purchase and transport Israeli-produced water. With the challenging geopolitical problems that Israel faces in Gaza and Lebanon, it would be easy for Israel to ignore the issues of their neighbors, in particular Syria, who are extremely hostile.

Instead of giving into this easy temptation, Israel and its Arab neighbours should chart a different course. Israel could start by renewing its water sharing agreement with Jordan, which, unlike Syria, is an ally, for the long term. In May 2024, it was renewed for only six months, so by committing to water sharing for the long term, Israel would signify that its existence as a nation-state is essential for Jordan’s survival. Israeli water companies could even consider partnerships with Jordanian water companies, sending Israeli engineers to help upgrade existing facilities that currently leak. Also, by developing the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance, Israel, Palestinian territories, and Jordan would bring more water into the Dead Sea by transferring water from Aqaba to Lisan. Although this project was abandoned in June 2021, Israel is in a prime position to lead the conveyance’s development due to its engineering expertise and ability to finance large developments. Acting on these projects would enhance Israeli-Jordanian relations.

However, Syria is different. The nation has consistently adopted an anti-Zionist policy since 1948. So, it is highly unlikely that the Assad Regime would partner with Israeli water companies. But imagine if Syria had the same sensibility as Jordan and recognised Israel as a nation; a new partnership of broader regional cooperation with water could emerge.

The Jordan River, which traverses the border between Israel and Syria, is draining at only ten percent of its average fifty years ago, partly caused by the dam in the Sea of Galilee and agricultural consumption of water. So, the Israeli and Syrian authorities could look at ways to tackle this problem by growing vegetation on the riverbanks and improvingdrainage systems. While these projects would not have the same impact on water supply as, for instance, a joint Israeli-Syrian desalination plant, they would fundamentally improve relations as the two nations partner together on planting trees. With climate change only worsening, it is likely that both nations will be forced to work together out of necessity rather  than choice, which is why it is better for them to act now.

Israel’s success with water security may seem trivial and only relevant to the Middle East, but as the UK aims to achieve Net Zero by 2050, Sir Keir Starmer’s new Labour government should embrace greater desalination by working with Israeli companies. Israel is in a prime position to help Britian achieve this goal.

The UK Government’s Net Zero strategy aims to create energy and resource security, a programme wholly incomplete without water security. Currently, the UK has water security problems, as illustrated by the 2018 and 2022 droughts and only one major desalination plant in Beckton, East London. Britain is an ideal candidate for further desalination due to its coastal terrain and increasing population. If several desalination plants were created in the UK, perhaps by British engineers learning from skilled Israeli engineers, it is likely the UK could generate more water, thereby achieving water security. Israel has experience with building desalination plants in foreign countries, as illustrated by the Carlsbad desalination plant in California. By taking the lead on desalination, Israeli companies could bring their industry knowledge and engineering expertise to the UK and work with the British Government to achieve water security and improved relations.

Israel is a world leader in generating water security. While it should be immensely proud of its successes to date, Israel can do more to work with other nations, whether friend or foe, to improve water security and alleviate the burdens of global climate change.