After more than five years of official study at a cost of at least $16 million, a team of World Bank consultants are close to completing work that, so far, supports building an estimated $10-billion water pipeline project in Jordan. Set to pump water from the top of the Red Sea into the shrinking Dead Sea, the project would also include linked powerplants to boost energy supply for the region.
But three just-released bank reports that outline draft conclusions as to the project's feasibility, environmental impacts and alternatives have evoked both support and strong opposition from public officials and environmental groups in hearings last month in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories.