Environment

The Dead Sea is Dying

The Dead Sea is the lowest exposed place on Earth. It is 10 times saltier than the ocean. So you don't sink in it. You float. The mud and the waters are full of minerals - great therapeutic for your skin. But the Dead Sea is dying. The lake level is dropping 4 feet every single year. The cause is that in the last several decades, the freshwater sources that feed into the Dead Sea have been diverted for drinking water and irrigation. Also, Israeli and Jordanian companies pump out and evaporate Dead Sea water to harvest its rich minerals for export. Cavities along the shore open up into sinkholes.

Climate change makes this worse. The area is getting hotter. Rainfall is dropping. Populations are growing, and there's not enough water for drinking and irrigation, let alone for saving the Dead Sea.