Dead Sea water levels dropping rapidly

The Dead Sea, a salt lake between Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan, is losing water at a rate of about one meter per year, leading to serious environmental and geological issues. This decline has been ongoing for more than sixty years and has caused over 6,000 sinkholes on the Israeli side of the lake.

Jordan River diversion as main cause

The primary reason for the Dead Sea's shrinking is the massive reduction in the flow of the Jordan River. Since 1964, the river’s flow has dropped by more than 90 percent, largely due to water diversions for agriculture and drinking water in Israel, Jordan, and Syria.

Israel’s partial response to the crisis

In response to growing concerns, Israel has been releasing about 9 million cubic meters of water annually from the Deganya dam since 2013. However, this effort is not enough to significantly reverse the lake’s decline, according to the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Sinkholes disrupting life and tourism

The falling water levels have led to the formation of large sinkholes, some several meters wide and tens of meters deep. These have made parts of the western shore dangerous, forcing the closure of popular sites like Ein Gedi and Mineral Beach. Roads have collapsed, and long-standing orchards have been destroyed by sudden sinkholes.

Regional differences in sinkhole impact

Geologist Hanan Ginat notes that the western shore of the Dead Sea is retreating by about one meter each year. Experts also point out that the number of sinkholes is much lower on the Jordanian side, likely due to less fresh water being withdrawn from that area compared to Israel.