Saving Israel's Dead Sea

Experts believe that the Dead Sea is evaporating faster than ever before, according to an article posted by CBN News.  They claim the level of the Dead Sea has dropped by more than four feet and some parts of the shoreline have retreated close to a mile in the last 25 years.

The Dead Sea is considered a natural wonder of the Earth, not to mention a biblical landmark, and it contains a treasure trove of minerals that are used worldwide.

Geologist Eli Raz, claims the quickly depleting sea is due to human interference as opposed to nature.  Raz stated that Israel and Jordan have been diverting the waters of the Jordan River, only allowing a trickle to flow into the Dead Sea.  He also blames big industries for harvesting rich minerals from the Sea.  Companies such as Israel's Dead Sea Works and its counterpart, mine minerals like potash, magnesium, and bromine, which produces 10% of the world's potash.  It is used as a main ingredient in fertilizer, and is used here in the United States.

Tourism will also suffer as a result, if the Dead Sea is not saved.  The Dead Sea is 10 times saltier than the ocean water.  It allows swimmers to experience an effect of bobbing in the water like a cork.  It is impossible to sink in the Dead Sea, which is why it is so popular among tourists.

There is also a spa that attracts visitors, named Ein Gedi Spa, that pulls in approximately 250,000 tourists each year.  This spa is also recommended by doctors, to their patients needing treatments for skin and breathing problems.  Therefore, it would be very beneficial to save these waters.

Several options have been discussed to save the Dead Sea, including, pumping water from the Med-Dead canal 45 miles from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea.  This would create electricity for Israel.  Another alternative is a project named Red-Dead, that would send water uphill approximately 140 miles from the Red Sea's Gulf of Aqaba in Jordan before running it down to the Dead Sea, which some claim is politically motived and is supposed to be a joint peace project between Israel, Jordan, and Palestine.  And finally, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Professor, Avner Adin, claims that interdependence between countries, when it pertains to water, should be a last resort.  He states that the Jordan River should be allowed to flow down to the Dead Sea as it did before the settlements, and the agriculture areas took over the sea waters.  The Ein Gedi Springs should provide enough water for agriculture and survival.

It appears that the minerals they are extracting from the Dead Sea are the same minerals they could extract from the surrounding ocean waters, it is just easier to gather them from the Dead Sea because of the greater amount in such a small area.  However, the benefits of saving the Dead Sea seem to outweigh the negative consequences.

The Dead Sea has so many good qualities I never realized before.  Hopefully, they will find solutions quickly so the sea can be saved.  If it's not, it could be detrimental for the economy in that area.  If nothing else, because of the dependence on tourism alone.