The Dead Sea gets its name from its high salt content that allows no marine organisms to live in it. As for its purpose, it is only a tourist attraction as well as the main economic resource of the area. It is a landlocked body of water in the middle of a desert, and even though it is in the middle of a drought at the moment, it has never experienced a significant rainfall.
The northern part of the sea is gradually reseeding, and scientists predict this recession is at a rate of about 3-4 ft. per year. The sea’s only major water contributor, the Jordan River from the north, is being tapped to feed the irrigation systems of both Israel and Jordan, the countries on both sides. One environmental group declared that there is no clear management of water distribution and that everyone is just taking as much as they please without a though of consequences. This is causing less water to flow into the sea and thus shrinking it. At this rate, it is predicted that surrounding land will collapse as the groundwater is evaporated, destroying not only populated areas but vegetation and wildlife as well on land. But at the southern half, industrialization and creation of evaporation are causing millions of tons of salt to be deposited into the lake, actually raising the sea level and having the potential to flood the surrounding settlements. The northern and southern pools are at different elevations, so one does not simply pour into another in times of erosion. As for the weather in the area, the desert environment is slowly evaporating water and contributing to the problem as well.
One solution to stop the dwindling sea levels is to build a canal between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, which is a subdivision of the Red sea. This will not only refill the sea but provide power through the downhill flow of water as well. However, the gulf provides salt water while the Jordan provides fresh water, so scientists aren’t certain about the effects of added salt to this already salinized body of water. Additionally, the canal would have to be 200 kilometers long, which would be very expensive to construct. Additionally, any plan to save the sea would have to go through three government (Israel, Jordan, Palestine), which could take years to get off the ground. Another proposal is to dredge the seabed of the southern area and move the sediment to the northern half to kill two birds with one stone. However, this chipping away of the floor could release chemicals suspended in the sediment, harming both areas as pollutants spread outward. As of now, there is no program being put into effect to destabilize water levels.
Works Cited
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/11/3/230803.shtml
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/middle_east_dead_sea_is_being_gradually_sucked_dry
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