Restoring life to the Jordan River and the Dead Sea

In early 1950s, few years after its establishment, Israel has diverted the course of the Jordan River into its borders occupied in 1948, before occupying the entire Palestine and Golan Heights to Jabal al-Sheikh (mount Hermon), the main source of the Jordan River, in 1967. By this, Isarel has to block any possible attempt by Arab states to divert some tributaries of the Jordan River, reducing the amount of water reaching the river in response to Israel diverting its course and delivering its water to the Negev desert.
The Dead Sea has lost about a third of its area in less than a hundred years. The main reason is the decrease of the water flowing from its main feeder, the Jordan River. The amount of water flowing through the Jordan River south of Lake Tiberias decreased from about 1.5 billion cubic meters annually in the first half of the last century to only about 200 million cubic meters. The rate of decrease in the Dead Sea is accelerating at a rate of one to one and a half meters annually, due to climate change, rising temperatures, and consequently an increase in the rate of evaporation. Therefore, scientists and experts agree that the real death of the Dead Sea will be by the year 2050 if the situation remains as it is today.
Apart from the environmental disasters whose negative impacts are hard to predict on the biological and natural diversity of the Jordan River and Dead Sea region, the indifference of the concerned parties (Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, the United Nations, environmental protection organizations, religious institutions and the whole world). And accepting the fact that the Jordan River and the Dead Sea are drying up, will have profound and devastating repercussions on all parties and which will affect all not only the economic sector agriculture, tourism and industry but also the human existence of on this part of the earth as well.
Jordan River:
The Jordan River has a significant and unique importance, other than the 350 km of length which transforms the lands surrounding its banks into fertile lands, the base to food security. Moreover, the river´s waters have a paramount importance in feeding groundwater basins.
Furthermore, for the 2.5 billion Christians around the world the River and its water are considered sacred that would have returns on investments in religious tourism on the Jordan River outweigh any investments in other natural resources.
Dead Sea:
There is no justification for the indifference of the concerned parties towards the fact that the lowest point on earth is drying up, the sea whose water is 8 times saltier than the oceans and other seas. The Dead Sea water rich in salt and minerals, has curative properties for many diseases, in addition to being the area with the most oxygen concentration and the highest air pressure in the world. Also, experts claim that the Dead Sea sun beams are harmless due to the natural filtering ultraviolet rays thanks to the density of the ozone layer and the thick and heavy fog caused by the evaporation of mineral salts in the sky of the Dead Sea. It is a natural treasure whose disappearance could not be imagined.
What could be done?
Certainly, the concerned parties realize the consequences of the drying up of the Dead Sea and River Jordan, they have tried to come up with solutions such as the “Two Seas Canal” which planned on opening a canal which connects the Red Sea´s water with the Dead Sea. The idea of this project started more than 20 years ago, and after various studies and fundraising, the project is no longer on the table.
I assume that the main reason for the loss of interest of the concerned parties is the uncertainty that the project will succeed without violating the environment of the Dead Sea, as experts say, in addition to the high financial cost of the project.
The natural, easiest and fastest solution for the shortage of water, is for Israel to reverse its destructive tampering with nature and the environment by restoring the waters of the Jordan River to its natural course. The concerned parties, including Israel, must rely on desalinating the waters of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea to meet their water needs. The concerned parties should also agree on how to invest in the Jordan River and the Dead Sea in a fair and environmentally friendly manner.
Undoubtedly, the biggest obstacle to restoring life to the Jordan River and the Dead Sea is Israel. Therefore, an international campaign must be launched that includes Israeli environmental institutions and activists who are aware of the crime of their state and the importance and speed of action to save the Dead Sea. The international campaign should explain and expose Israel, which bears the main responsibility for its tampering with nature, the drying up of the sacred waters of the Jordan River, and the dryness of the Dead Sea, which is unique in the world, to force Israel to reverse the diversion of the Jordan River and -restore- life to it and the Dead Sea.
*Translated from Arabic by Ms. Dana Ammous

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