Saving the Dead Sea

Although it may sound redundant, the Dead Sea is truly dying. Israel's largest body of water, lying 1,400 feet below sea level, has lost one-third of its water in recent decades. The Dead Sea is famous for its water composition—which is 10 times more salty than other seas—allowing for such buoyancy that humans can read books and newspapers while floating on its surface. Rich in biblical history, the sea also drew people seeking the water's mineral healing powers. Filmmaker Terri Randall’s PBS-aired NOVA documentary examines the changing shoreline, which is pocked with over 6,000 sinkholes—a man-made disaster caused by water diversion and industrial mining and exploitation. The film describes the geological formation of the area, in which water flowed from the Sea of Galilee and Jordan River into the Dead Sea, where it was trapped, having no natural exits. Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Jordan have formed an unlikely alliance with the Red Sea-Dead Sea Project, a first-time effort to link these two seas, and raise the Dead Sea's water level by driving brine into it, possibly even turning the sea white. Every solution comes with challenges and unknowns: water piped to tourist areas could be disrupted by long overdue earthquakes, while tampering with the Red Sea could harm pristine and unique coral reefs. Some creative experiments have been tried, (including training Muslim women in Jordan to save water by learning about plumbing), although experts are rightly reluctant to seek miracle cures when so many projects have failed. Some even propose doing nothing, turning the Dead Sea into a geologic park. Meanwhile, historic rivals continue talking to each other about their water needs, which is a hopeful sign. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)