A Pragmatic Approach for Sustainable Development of the Red-Mediterranean-Dead Seas Canal Project: A Case Study

Abstract

Sustainability is a critically important goal for human activity and development. At the heart of the concept of sustainable development is the view that social, economic and environmental objectives should be complementary and interdependent in the development process. Sustainable development requires policy changes in many sectors and coherence between them, and entails balancing the economic, social and environmental objectives of society, integrating them wherever possible through mutually supportive policies and practices, and making appropriate trade-offs where necessary. The Red-Mediterranean-Dead Seas Canal project is an example of a mega project that may contribute significantly to sustainable development. The manner is examined in which Red-Mediterranean-Dead Seas Canal project contributes to the key factors for sustainability, along with the positive and negative environmental and socio-economic impacts of the project. The large amount of desalinated water expected from this project will be of great significance to the partners in the region. The stratification and dilution of the Dead Sea water mass with sea water may cause losses for the Dead Sea works and the Arab Potash Company, precipitation of gypsum and changes in the biological environment of the upper water mass. The feasibility of this project must be thoroughly studied, including the Dead Sea limnology.