The Dead Sea, the lowest and saltiest sea in the world, is currently in a state of severe environmental degradation. Water extraction from the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, and the Yarmouk River for Israel, Jordan, and Syria, as well as the extraction of Dead Sea water for industrial plants in Israel and Jordan, steadily reduce the water supply to the sea. In fact, natural flows have “run out.”
The hydrological deficit in the Dead Sea, that is, the gap between evaporation and water inflows, is 600-700 million cubic meters per year. Since more water is being extracted than replenished, there has been a continuous decline in the level of the northern basin of the sea, at a rate of about one meter per year. The level of the Dead Sea, which was 395 meters below sea level in 1950, is now 418 meters below sea level. The process of level decline continues, and if there is no change in the processes of sea depletion, the level will drop by another 150 meters until it stabilizes as a much smaller sea at a level of about 550 meters below sea level. In the southern basin, which under current circumstances was expected to dry up, the level is maintained thanks to the activities of mineral extraction plants in Israel and Jordan that pump water into this basin for evaporation ponds.
The Samuel Neaman Institute conducted a study, initiated by the “Sustainable Negev” association, the Tamar and Megilot regional councils, the Dead Sea Research, Development and Study Institute, and the Dead Sea Works, which examines and presents the various alternatives for the rehabilitation of the Dead Sea and the Jordan River.
The review presents three main alternatives:
- “Business as Usual”: The purpose of presenting this alternative is to review the issue of level changes and their various impacts, in the event that no steps are taken to rehabilitate the sea.
- Seawater Conveyance to the Dead Sea: The alternative of conveying seawater from the Eilat-Aqaba area to the Dead Sea is currently under consideration, although there are additional sub-alternatives to consider. In this alternative, the intention is to utilize the water and the elevation difference to generate energy, desalinate the water, and convey the desalinated water to the depleted Jordanian water system. The brine will be transferred to the Dead Sea to rehabilitate and stabilize its level. This alternative involves environmental risks that require thorough examination before the project can begin.
- Jordan River Water Conveyance: There is a proposal to return to a situation where the Jordan River supplies enough water to maintain the historical level of the Dead Sea; the purpose of this study is to present the broad picture to the various stakeholders involved in the project, to the public in Israel, and in neighboring countries.
The working assumption is that obtaining the broad picture on the Dead Sea issue will enable a genuine discussion in examining the various alternatives and ensure a more balanced decision-making process in choosing the alternative that will bring the greatest benefit with minimal environmental risk in the area.
