Dead Sea is at Risk of Drying Out Due to Overuse

The Dead Sea, renowned for its mineral-rich waters and healing mud, faces the threat of being bled dry by the desert nations of Israel, Jordan, and Syria. Since the 1960s the three nations have been diverting nearly 95 percent of the water from the Jordan River, the Dead Sea's main water source, to supplement its growing agricultural and industrial needs. The surface level is currently dropping by the rate of three feet per year and the shoreline has receded by more than a mile in some places. Due to current political unrest in the area, nothing has been or is being done to rectify the problems at hand. Former Jordan Valley Authority chief and water expert Dureid Mahasneh voiced his concern about the current lack of political action and the far reaching consequences the drying up of the Dead Sea would create if something is not done soon. "It might be confined into a small pond. It is likely to happen and this is extremely serious," said Mahasmeh. Nobody is doing anything now to save it, saving the Dead Sea is a regional issue, and if you take the heritage, environmental and historical importance, or even the geographical importance, it is an international issue." The World Bank has been funding a two-year study of Jordan's plan to build a pipeline from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea to start refilling the Dead Sea. The project would channel 70 billion cubic feet of water into the Dead Sea through a canal, simultaneously creating fresh water and generating electricity. Although Jordan's effort is a step in the right direction, Jordan cannot solve the problem alone. In addition, there are many concerns about the plan and the environmental impact may have on the Dead Sea's delicate and unique chemistry. Despite the possible environmental effects, Mahasneh supports Jordan's plan. Some believe, however, that saving the Jordan River is the key to saving the Dead Sea. The Jordan River is currently under major ecological pressure. Tons of raw sewage gush, unfiltered and uncontrolled, into the small stream left after the diversion of the majority of the river. According to FoEME (Friends of the Earth Middle East), in the past 50 years the river's annual flow has been cut from 46 billion cubic feet per year, to around 2.5 billion cubic feet per year. Also, according to water experts, the majority of the springs in the Jordan Valley which flow directly into the Dead Sea are currently dammed. Jordan, with a population of six million and counting, needs as much water as it can get to support its expanding domestic, agricultural, and industrial requirements. Large sinkholes have been appearing along the shoreline, destroying farms and industries. Izzat Khanazreh, a 42-year-old farmer, recounted what a sinkhole did to him and his land. "A sinkhole destroyed my farm 10 years ago and forced me to move and work for other farmers, nobody compensated me for my loss. My land was full of cracks and it was impossible to do anything about it," said Khanazreh. There are an estimated 100 sinkholes in the Ghor Haditha area alone. Jordanian officials are planning on attempting to acquire foreign financial aid at the Copenhagen conference this coming month to help them deal with the growing problems that have occurred due to the slow death of the Dead Sea.