Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection

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judih
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Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection

Post by judih » July 10th, 2006, 12:12 am

This is an article from the Israel Ministry to address the problem of the shrinking Dead Sea. I've posted it here on its own. One other thing, I've been incorrectly translating from the Hebrew. What I've been referring to as 'potassium' or 'ashlagan' in Hebrew is Potash. Both minerals are the same in Hebrew (everything depends on context).

Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection

Dead SeaUpdated: 28/06/2006


The Dead Sea, located in the Syrian-African Rift Valley, is the lowest place on earth—416 meters below sea level. It is also the world’s saltiest large water body, with a salt concentration ten times higher than that of the Mediterranean. Despite these unique features, the Dead Sea Basin’s ecological and environmental status is being degraded and threatened by unsustainable economic development and water-source diversions. Water level has been dropping at a rate of about 1 meter per year. Over the past three decades, the water level has fallen by approximately 25 m. In addition, the sea’s length (north to south) has decreased from 75 km in the beginning of the 1900s to 55 km today, and sinkholes have appeared along the shoreline. The dramatic lowering of water level since the 1970s is largely attributed to the diversion of water sources upstream of its basin to meet domestic, agricultural, tourist and industrial demands and to the mineral extraction industry which has been established on both sides of the lake—Israel and Jordan. This negative water balance, which is expected to increase in the future, has a significant impact on existing and future infrastructure and development plans, natural and landscape values, the image of the region and the lives of local residents.
Recognition of the problem led to a January 2003 government decision to prepare a policy document on the future of the Dead Sea. The decision called for a review of three possible scenarios and their impact on the Dead Sea:

1. Business as usual – The negative recharge rate in the basin continues and even intensifies due to the diversion of additional freshwater sources. This scenario portrays a realistic situation that is likely to occur within the coming decades if no action is taken.

2. Seawater conduit – A significant change in the recharge rate of the water in the basin can be achieved by an influx of seawater or “reject brine” from desalination plants to reach a level equal to or above the rate of evaporation.

3. Freshwater supply – A significant change in the recharge rate of the water in the basin can be achieved by restoring a considerable portion of the natural sources of water that flowed into the Dead Sea, thereby partially restoring past conditions.

The first part of the policy document, prepared by the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of National Infrastructure and Jerusalem Institute for Israel, has been completed. It presents baseline data and initial assessments and forecasts regarding the existing and future state of the Dead Sea area in a “business as usual” scenario. Following are the main conclusions:

• No change to the negative recharge rate of the Dead Sea is expected in the foreseeable future, and the water level will continue to fall at a rate of at least one meter per year. The processes leading to a retraction of the shorelines, exposure of inaccessible mud flats, development of sinkholes, subsidence, stream scouring and accelerated loss of water from groundwater reservoirs will continue to occur. The negative phenomena that affect the lives of local residents and the potential for development in the area will continue and may even accelerate.

• An additional 10 - 20 meter fall in the water level is a reasonable prediction even if a decision is taken to initiate drastic measures such as a seawater conduit or the restoration of natural water flows. From the time implementation actually begins, the process of raising the water level to the desired elevation will also be lengthy. Thus, in order to deal with the current reality at the Dead Sea, it will be necessary to adopt a planning approach that will apply to at least the next 20 years and will relate to current and forecasted conditions.


http://www.sviva.gov.il/Enviroment/bin/ ... nDispWho=A

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