Could the shrinking Dead Sea make a come back in 2020? Dead Sea. Illustrative. Photo courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism
With the Dead Sea slowly shrinking away, an ambitious plan to restore the Sea famous for it’s extremely salty waters is progressing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said regarding the plan—which will take water from the Red Sea at the south of Israel, desalinate it for drinking and then take the saltier water remnants to replenish the Dead Sea—that they have “crossed another stage en route to realizing the canal between the seas project.”
The Jordan Times reported that roughly $400 million has been raised from nations and agencies from around the world, with some of it coming in the form of easy-to-repay loans or grants. The United States is contributing a quarter of that sum—$100 million. Netanyahu, in comments released by his office, said that according to the plan, “in 2020 fresh water will be supplied to the residents of the Aravah [region] and salt water will finally be channeled to the Dead Sea.”
The fresh water will benefit both Israelis and Jordanians for the project, which is also jointly sponsored by the Palestinians.
Netanyahu, in his comments, said that Zionism founder Theodor Herzl imagined this concept decades ago. “He foresaw the canal between the seas and we now have the great honor and opportunity to realize this vision,” said Netanyahu. “Of course, this is also a project that constitutes an additional strategic anchor in the peaceful relations between Jordan and Israel, peaceful relations which are more vital than ever in light of what is happening in our region.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, December 4, 2016)