The World Bank has agreed to put $1.25 billion toward a canal aimed as saving the Dead Sea. Anyone who has visited the sea in the last decade can see the signs of a rapidly depleted sea.
The funding will go toward building a canal that will bring water from the Red Sea, at sea level, to the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point on Earth. The sea is expected to completely dry by 2050 if nothing is done to save it.
The 180 km, or 110 mile, route will bring water for two purposes. Half of the water will flow into the sea, stemming future water loss. The other half will flow to a joint Israeli-Jordanian-PA desalination plant.
The sea has been falling by one meter, or about three feet, every year. A second stage plan would increase the canal flow to 2 billion cubic meters of water per year to help bring the sea back to its original level.
About the author
- More at
Comments on this entry are closed.