Potentials for development of hydro-powered water desalination in Jordan

Due to the increase in population and development in agriculture, Jordan will deplete all of its renewable sources of fresh water in the next few years. On the other hand, the level of the Dead Sea has been falling at a high rate for the past three decades, due to the diversion of water from the Jordan River for irrigation. The solution to these issues could be in finding other alternatives such as the development of hydro-powered water desalination plan. Desalted water would be produced in order to make up for the shortage of fresh water using membrane technology, and thus reserve fresh ground water for future generations. The brine from this process is discharged into the Dead Sea to allow restoring the sea level. This paper finds, on an annual basis, that about 2133 million cubic meters (MCM) of water can be drawn from the Red Sea. The power generated due to difference in elevation is used to desalinate Red Sea water. About 533 MCM of fresh water is produced in such a process. The brine, which is about 1600 MCM, is discharged into the Dead Sea. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.