Israel mourns the dying Dead Sea

The Middle East is famously a place of paradoxes, and perhaps the oddest paradox of all is this: the Dead Sea is dying. Edward Stourton, who has been to Israel to investigate, has found the Dead Sea is now shrinking at a terrifying speed with the sea level dropping by more than three feet a year.

news.bbc.co.uk...

In his report he mentions how a restaurant where you used to be able to dive right into the right see from a balcony is now a mile away from the sea itself.

It appears that the river Jordan is not supplying the sea with more water.

Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians - everyone wants a bit of Jordan water - and by the time the river reaches its end, there is almost none left. At its mouth, two strides with rolled up trousers can take you from Israel across the river border into Jordan.

Nature is taking its revenge in truly Biblical style. Along the sea's western edge I found a landscape pitted with vast sink holes, some as deep as 26m (85ft).

It does not seem to be the so called 'global warming' but rather a demand for more fresh water for everyone that is causing the problem.

There is a plan to stop the Dead Sea dying. Water would be drawn from the Red Sea in the south, it would be desalinated to provide precious fresh water for the region, and a Red-Dead channel would take the salt water waste on to replenish the Dead Sea.

On the way it would drive a hydro-electric plant, and create 2,000 jobs.

The champions argue it would also promote co-operation between Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians. The opponents say the environmental impact is unpredictable and could be disastrous.

The World Bank is studying the plan, so we will see. In the meantime we are left with Gura Berger's words:

"If we cry enough," she said, "perhaps we can refill it with our tears."

Such a shame that it has come to this. How sad that we measure nature in how many jobs we can create from a disaster and how banks model profits based on ideas to make people work ..again for profit.

The Dead Sea located between Israel and Jordan is turning into a dry salt flat with an area of approximately 61% of its former size. This is mainly due to the diversion of incoming water from the Jordan River to the north.



There’s suppose to be two rival projects proposed for the reviving of the Dead Sea.

Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal

The Red Sea-Dead Sea Conduit (Canal) (sometimes called the Two Seas Canal) is a proposed conduit (pipes and brine canal) which would run from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. It will provide potable water to Jordan, Israel, and the Palestine Authority, [and] bring sea water to stabilize the Dead Sea water level and generate electricity to support the energy needs of the project. This proposal has a role in plans to create institutions for economic cooperation between Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians, in the Dead Sea [region] and through the Peace Valley Plan.

en.wikipedia.org...

Mediterranean-Dead Sea Canal

The Mediterranean-Dead Sea Canal (MDSC) is a proposed project to dig a canal from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea, taking advantage of the 400-metre difference in water level between the seas. It is not to be confused with the Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal (RSDSC). The project could correct the drop in the level of the Dead Sea observed in recent years. The canal could also be used to generate hydroelectric power because of surface difference and maybe by salinity gradient power, and desalinate water by reverse osmosis.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by acura_el2000


I know people have a right to their opinions - but this comment just seemd very out of the blue, and more like a rant than anything that had to do with the topic at hand.... just an excuse for Jew bashing.


To the OP - I have read that remains of civilization has been found in the Dead Sea - a part of me would like for some of it to dry up so we can see if there is anything hidden below the waters.

reply to post by MentorsRiddle

i remember reading the book THE BIBLE DECODED some time ago and it said that an obelisk would be found under the dead sea that would act as a rosetta stone , time will tell , but if it does then we are in for some interesting times