Jordan River Shared Corridor

A free territorial vision by Studio nab to restore the river, reconnect landscapes and develop new forms of cooperation.

The Jordan River Shared Corridor is an independent territorial research and prospective design project developed by Studio nab, outside any institutional commission. It explores the potential of the Jordan River basin as a shared territory, where ecological, hydrological and cultural interdependencies can become drivers of resilience and regional cooperation.

A vital resource, a reservoir of biodiversity and a cradle of civilizations, the Jordan River basin faces growing challenges, including water scarcity, ecosystem degradation, landscape fragmentation and geopolitical tensions. This project approaches the watershed as a shared infrastructure, capable of connecting territories and strengthening cooperation around common resources.

Building on the Jordan River Peace Park, developed by EcoPeace Middle East following the Oslo peace accords, the project expands from an emblematic site towards a broader territorial vision structured around three complementary nodes. Naharayim is a place of memory and industrial heritage. Irbid serves as a scientific hub for water and climate. Jenin becomes an experimental territory for regenerative agriculture, soil restoration and local resilience. Together, these nodes outline a geography of cooperation at the scale of the river basin.

Four infrastructures for a shared territory

Blue infrastructure:
Restoring the river and its aquatic ecosystems requires sustainable water management, the preservation of ecological flows, wastewater reuse and improved water security. Basin-wide monitoring can support a more integrated understanding of hydrological dynamics and help guide decisions.

Green infrastructure:
Reconnecting landscapes and habitats means restoring degraded environments, supporting regenerative agricultural practices and addressing desertification. The aim is to rebuild ecological continuity across a territory fragmented by infrastructure, land use and political boundaries.

Knowledge infrastructure:
Shared territorial, hydrological and ecological data can provide a common foundation for action. A joint atlas, university networks and observatories would help develop a collective understanding of the basin and support more informed decision-making.

Cultural infrastructure:
The basin's historical, industrial and landscape heritage offers another basis for connection. Memory sites, cultural routes and sustainable tourism can reveal the relationships between places and communities, while giving new value to the territory's shared history.

A progressive strategy towards 2035:
The project proposes a four-phase roadmap that can develop progressively, taking local contexts, access constraints and political realities into account.

2026 to 2027: Establishing a shared territorial atlas:
Bring together existing knowledge, map ecological and hydrological systems, identify key landscapes and heritage sites, and define opportunities for cooperation across the basin.

2027 to 2030: Restoring hydrological systems:
Prioritize river restoration, the recovery of ecosystem functions and the development of shared monitoring systems. Improve wastewater reuse and irrigation efficiency to support more sustainable water management.

2030 to 2033: Activating the three territorial nodes:
Develop Naharayim as a heritage and cooperation hub, strengthen Irbid as a centre for water and climate research, and support Jenin as a platform for regenerative agriculture and soil restoration.

2033 to 2035: Connecting landscapes and communities:
Strengthen ecological and landscape connections, develop cultural routes and encourage sustainable tourism. These initiatives would help make the corridor more legible as a connected territory, while supporting local activities and long-term resilience.

Rather than creating a new institution, this strategy seeks to consolidate existing initiatives and collaborations. Its implementation would remain gradual and adaptable to the conditions of each place.

Restoring interdependencies, preparing a shared future.
The Jordan River Shared Corridor does not claim to resolve the region's political conflicts. It starts from a geographical reality: water, ecosystems, landscapes and human activities are interdependent. Their long-term resilience depends on the ability to recognize and manage these relationships collectively.

By connecting existing initiatives, restoring ecological continuity and developing shared knowledge infrastructures, the project seeks to make these interdependencies more visible, tangible and durable. Cooperation is not presented as a prerequisite, but as something that can emerge through the management of shared resources and the pursuit of common needs.

Through this prospective vision, Studio nab considers the Jordan River basin as a living infrastructure, where ecological and landscape regeneration can become a driver of territorial resilience. By 2035, the corridor imagines a more connected territory, capable of preserving resources, valuing heritage and developing new forms of cooperation around a shared future.