The Dead Sea in Jordan is shrinking at an alarming rate - a development that has led to the creation of some 3,000 sinkholes along the sea's coasts.
The sea has shrunk by a third since the 1960s when its major water source - the River Jordan - was diverted for upstream projects in Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
But for many people, the projects have backfired and the farmers who work near the sea say the once verdant and fertile land has become increasingly barren.

The Jordan River feeds the Dead Sea. In the 1960s much of the water from that artery began to be drained off for irrigation and other needs. Without its constant supply of water, the Dead Sea began to experience great changes. To understand the most dramatic, one must understand the stratification that marked this unique body of water. The mineral rich waters that created the huge natural spa that had soothed kings and peasants throughout history and is now the source for people all over the world that seek to purchase Dead Sea salts were divided into a cool lower layer and a warm upper layer. The lower layer was completely saturated with the salt that characterizes this body of water. The upper layer, while still strikingly salty had a lower concentration.

When the water supply began to slow in the 1960s the salt level in the upper strata began to increase until it reached the point that it actually contained more salt than the lower although it remained generally warmer. Finally, in the winter of 1978-79 when the water of the upper level cooled and with the concentration of salt within it weighing it down, the waters of both strata combined and the Sea became a homogenous body of water.

This dramatic change demonstrates that great changes that are affecting this historic body of water. It has continued to shrink ever since. The needs of those living upriver on the Jordan have only increased causing the sea to shrink more each year. It is unlikely, though, that that sea will ever disappear for good. As it continues to shrink the salinity increases and the surface area decreases, both factors that decrease evaporation. Nevertheless, it may soon be unrecognizable as the great sea that is once was or even what it is today.

What Can Be Done?

It is unlikely and unrealistic to expect human consumption on the Jordan to slow down. Fortunately, real steps are being taken to solve the problem. In 2005 Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority signed an agreement to study solutions. The main focus will be the “Two Seas Canal” which will channel water from the Mediterranean and Red Seas to replenish the waters of the Dead Sea. This would have the added benefit of providing hydroelectric power. Some of the downsides of this solution potential damage to the environment of the affect areas and yet another shock to the salination levels of the sea.

Wikipedia/Ab