Scientists warn: Dead Sea on the verge of extinction

Only five years ago, tourists from all over the world came here to experience the famous effect of weightlessness in water with a high concentration of salts. Today, the sea is rapidly receding, forming dangerous sinkholes and leaving once popular holiday destinations in the past. This is reported by Phys.org.

There are several reasons for this environmental disaster.

Firstly, the climate is changing: temperatures in the region can reach 50 °C, increasing natural evaporation.

Secondly, the flow of water from rivers, especially the main artery, the Jordan River, has been significantly reduced due to water abstraction for agriculture and domestic use. In addition, local chemical companies pump water to extract minerals such as potash, bromine, and magnesium. All this only accelerates the drying up of the Dead Sea, which is losing more than a metre of its depth every year.

Hydrologist Nadtav Tal from EcoPeace emphasises that the problem must be solved jointly by Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. However, events in the Middle East are fuelling political tensions and the environment is temporarily taking a back seat. The parties have made agreements to save the Dead Sea before, but ongoing conflicts are jeopardising the possibility of regional cooperation.

According to Ohad Karni of Israel's Environment Ministry, officials are considering a range of options, from building desalination plants to laying a canal that could supply the sea with fresh water.

However, Karni notes: "It makes no sense to simply pour potable water into the Dead Sea, as the region faces severe water shortages for population and agriculture." Any drastic measures will require both a financial injection and close collaboration between neighbours in the region.

Beyond the economic costs, the changes are already being felt at the level of everyday life. Once-popular beaches have fallen into disrepair and tourism has shifted to artificial bodies of water. Locals recall a time when they could freely reach the water's edge and spend a day enjoying the therapeutic salt baths. Now, however, access to the sea is difficult, and well-appointed places of recreation have fallen into disrepair.

As a result of the catastrophic situation, there is a growing sense of hopelessness: while politicians are busy with conflicts, there is simply no time left for the Dead Sea.

Environmentalists insist that the unique body of water can only be saved with the joint efforts of all parties, otherwise the area will turn into a real "park" of abandoned beaches and dangerous sinkholes - a monument to how uncoordinated humanity's actions can destroy a unique natural area.