The decline of the river has been due in large measure to the conflicts between people in the countries it passes through. It has increasingly been treated as a backyard dumping ground, while border fences and military patrols have kept the extent of its degradation out of sight and consequently out of mind. Palestinians, for example, are largely denied access to the portion of the river valley in the West Bank and have no access to the river’s water.
The decline is now being turned around, however, as a decade of advocacy initiated by EcoPeace Middle East – an organisation that brings together Jordanians, Palestinians and Israelis to work together to protect the region’s natural resources and its shared heritage – begins to bear fruit. EcoPeace uses communities’ mutual dependence on shared water resources to persuade them and their national governments to cooperate to improve poor sanitation, prevent disease and foster an atmosphere of problem solving and peace building. Through municipal leadership and national government buy-in, wastewater treatment plants are now coming on line and some fresh water is again being released into the river. Palestinian, Israeli and Jordanian mayors also see the potential of tourism from a healthy Jordan River to lift their people out of poverty and to combat radicalisation. Unemployment in communities can be as high as 50 per cent, and unemployed young people, with little hope for the future, become easy prey for extremist groups, including recruiters for ISIS in neighboring Syria and Iraq.
The Jordan River runs through the heart of spiritual traditions. In attempts to combat the growing threat of extremism, EcoPeace has recently begun to reach out to the more moderate religious groups in the region and “use” the river to advance the creation of larger stakeholder circles in support of rehabilitation efforts.
The Jordan River Valley is home to some of the most momentous events in the history of humanity’s relationship with God. Some of the founding stories of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are set along its banks, and the valley contains sites sacred to half of humanity. Therefore, the rehabilitation of the Jordan River is a perfect matter around which to rally for faith communities as well.
For Christians, the Jordan is a symbol of purity and life. Christ’s baptism in the river marks his revelation as the Son of God and the beginning of his ministry on earth. The Jordan River recalls images of Jesus standing in holy water, his head bowed while John pours the waters of baptism over him. “As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17). Baptism is a ritual of cleansing and renewal – this is why the overriding symbol of the Jordan is purity and why the current polluted, diverted state of the Jordan is in such controversy.
For the Jewish people, the Jordan River is a symbol of liberation. Crossing the Jordan marks the Jews’ entry into a land of freedom and plenty after the bitter years of slavery and wandering. Earliest mention in the Hebrew Bible describes the Jordan Valley as “well-watered everywhere … even as the garden of the Lord” (Genesis 13:10). Joshua 3:15 describes the Jordan as “overflow[ing] its banks all the times of harvest”. When Joshua led the Israelites across this river it was entry into the Promised Land. The river marks a divine threshold.
The Jordan River flows through the cultural heartland for the Islamic world too. The Jordan Valley is part of this land that “we have blessed for the nations” (Quran, 21:71). The Jordan River is central to stories of the Islamic prophets Joshua (Yusha) and John (Yehya) and Jesus (Isa). Moreover, many of the closest companions to the prophet Mohammed are buried along the Jordan’s eastern bank. The Jordan Valley played a crucial role in the expansion of Islam under Caliph Umar and one of the most infamous battles against the Byzantine forces took place in the northern Jordan Valley.
All faiths believe that the disaster inflicted on the Jordan River demonstrates our disregard for the natural world and our spiritual traditions, and our failed responsibility as custodians of God’s Earth – perhaps this situation is an excellent reason to band together and make amends?
The rehabilitation of the Jordan River thus offers hope, not only for the shared environment and to break the cycle of poverty, but also to strengthen regional stability, integration and chances for a broader peace.
