A brand new road, designed to resist ground sinking, has opened in some areas along the western shore of the Dead Sea, but in other places, the road is already being damaged by the movement of the earth beneath it. This is part of a larger problem that has been worsening for over sixty years: the formation of sinkholes. These sinkholes have caused significant damage, including the destruction of an entire hotel and the closure of popular tourist beaches. The issue is linked to the declining water levels of the Dead Sea, which have been falling due to human activity and climate change. The Jordan River, once a major source of water for the Dead Sea, has seen its flow drastically reduced. Since the 1960s, Israel, Jordan, and Syria have diverted much of its water for agriculture and drinking purposes. As a result, the Dead Sea now receives only about a third of the water it once did. Additionally, industrial operations in Israel and Jordan, such as potash mining, further reduce the lake's volume by evaporating parts of its water to extract minerals. These combined factors have caused the Dead Sea’s water level to drop by about a meter each year, leading to the gradual exposure of salt layers beneath the surface. As the water level continues to fall, the highly concentrated saltwater that once stabilized the ground beneath the Dead Sea is retreating. Freshwater from surrounding mountains flows into these exposed salt layers, dissolving them and creating underground cavities. When the ground above these cavities can no longer support itself, it collapses, forming sinkholes. This process has led to the formation of over 6,000 sinkholes along the western shore of the Dead Sea, with some estimates suggesting even more. The number of sinkholes has increased dramatically over the years, with a 43% rise recorded in a recent scientific study between 2018 and 2024. The impact of these sinkholes is felt across various sectors. Tourism has been particularly affected, with resorts like the Mineral Beach resort closing after sinkholes destroyed parts of the facility. Popular beaches, such as Ein Gedi, have also been declared unsafe for swimming. Infrastructure is not spared either, with a 60 million dollar bridge and sections of road being damaged or rerouted due to sinkholes. Agriculture has also suffered, with many date palm groves abandoned due to the instability of the land. In response to these challenges, a proposed project to connect the Red Sea to the Dead Sea via a canal or pipeline was once considered, but it was abandoned due to high costs and environmental concerns. Today, the Dead Sea continues to shrink, its shoreline receding and its surrounding area becoming increasingly unstable and difficult to navigate.