Map source: Temporal Trends for Water-Resources Data in Areas of Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian Interest. Executive Action Team (EXACT) Multilateral Working Group on Water Resources.

Israel

Plans for a Jewish Nation of Israel began in the late 19th century. In 1923, the French and British came to a preliminary agreement on the boundarys of what would become Israel and the demarcation of water rights between Israel and Palestine. Although the agreement created boundaries for Palestine containing the majority of the Upper Jordan in Palestine, the boundaries excluded the headwaters of the Litani and the Hasbani Rivers. This marked the beginning of a long history of negotations and conflict over water ownership.

During the 1950's, Israel began many projects to divert surface water. In October, 1959, in response to concerns over neighbor state diversion of water, Israel started the National Water Carrier project whose primary stated purpose was to store water in the northern Lake Kinneret and supply this water to the southern regions of the country. This system is now operated by Mekorot - Israel's National Water Company. A map of the current National Water infrastructure can be seen on the usage page.

Palestine

Palestine has been a nation that has long dealt with the difficult climate and environment of the arid desert. However, with the creation of Israel it has had difficulty gaining control over its own water resources and been subject to the increased immigration of peoples and reduction in water availability. The Ionides Plan commissioned by the British government in 1939 claimed that Palestine did not have the water resource's necessary for continued Jewish immigration.

Palestine has also been the source of terrorist attacks, which undermine political and administrative cooperation between the nations. In January and February, 1965 the newly formed Fateh Guerilla movement carried out a successful attacks on the Israel National Water carrier.

Starting at the Madrid conference of 1991, Palestine has gained increasing control over its own water resources. The Palestinian Water Authority was created in 1993, and the more recent Oslo Interim agreement has provided a solid framework for collaboration between Israel and Palestine.

Jordan

Throughout the 20th century, Jordan participated in several projects to block or divert water from entering Israel controller aquifers and the National Water Carrier. These skirmishes, in addition with Syria, eventually provided a large contribution to the eruption of the Six-Day war.

However, Jordan also partook in decades of private discussions with Israel and made several agreements for water sharing. Finally in 1994 Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty.

More recently, Jordan has experienced cooperation, but also friction, with Israel in the face of droughts and consumer water contamination. Much of this effort is partaken by the Executive Action Team (EXACT) Multilateral Working Group on Water Resources

United States

While the United States does not have a physical link to the hydrological resources of the region, it has had a long-term relationship and impact on the politics and engineering relating to water infrastructure.

At least as early as 1939, the US was providing direct management and recommendations for water utility construction. The Lowdermilk management plan, which was modeled from the Tennessee Valley Authority, called for diverting unused water from the Yarmuk River to irrigate the Jordan Valley and the Negev, and building a Mediterranean Sea-Dead Sea Canal. Later in 19555, the Johnston plan provided a suggested framework for water allocation and management amongst Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. This plan was never ratified by all parties, but still served as a basis for Israel and Jordan to conduct secret "Picnic Table Talks" for decades.