Israel's Gaza war disrupts climate cooperation with Jordan

An ambitious climate deal between Israel and Jordan, known as Project Prosperity, has collapsed due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Saqib Rahim reports for Grist.

In short:

• Project Prosperity aimed to exchange Israel's water surplus for electricity from Jordan's solar farms, but the October 7 Hamas attack halted progress.
• Jordan, heavily affected by regional instability, canceled the deal and is accelerating its own desalination project to ensure water security.
• The collapse of the deal highlights the broader impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on regional cooperation and climate initiatives.

Key quote:

“Why would we collaborate with someone killing us and controlling our resources? How can I collaborate with someone occupying me? Controlling me?”

— Anonymous Palestinian official

Why this matters:

The conflict disrupts not only political relations but also crucial climate cooperation in a region severely affected by water scarcity and climate change. Without such collaborations, effective climate adaptation in the Middle East becomes even more challenging.