Is the Dead Sea dying?

The Dead Sea is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the region, but it’s been drying up for decades and losing water at a frightening rate.

And it’s our own fault.

For the last century, the Dead Sea has been heavily mined, which has had a devastating knock-on effect not only on the lake and its shore line, but also on nearby fresh water sources.

There are some plans to breathe life into the Dead Sea. Like so many things in the Middle East, though, no one can quite agree on getting them started and no one can quite agree on whether they’ll do more good than harm.

The one thing everyone agrees on is that it would be a disaster if the Dead Sea were allowed to die.

Video Sources

• Dead Sea drying: A new low-point for Earth – BBC
• Dead Sea stats – Israeli Water Authority (Hebrew)
• Environmentalists slam World Bank over Red-Dead canal – Jerusalem Post
• Experts say Red Sea-Dead Sea pipe dream isn’t worth its salt – Times of Israel
• Final Feasibility Study Report Summary – World Bank
• Israel Refloats Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal Initiative – Calcalist
• Jordan won’t budge on Red Sea-Dead Sea project – and Israel will pay the price – Ha’aretz
• Map of the proposed Pipeline – Fanack Water
• Red Sea-Dead Sea Project – Fanack Water
• Red Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance – Wikipedia
• Sinking Israel-Jordan relations leave Dead Sea, a natural wonder, low and dry – Times of Israel
• The Dead Sea Ecosystem – Tel Aviv University
• There’s a way to save Jordan. But it might kill the Dead Sea – Ha’aretz
• Will the RSDS Pipeline Save the Dead Sea? – Calcalist (Hebrew)