To save the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea, one of the world's cultural and ecological treasures, is in danger of near extinction as the water level continues to drop and the evaporation levels exceed the water flow into the sea. As the saltiest body of water in the world at 1,371 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth and draws large quantities of tourists to its enriching waters. The mineral industry alone employs 35,000 people yet is responsible for 25% to 30% of the annual drop in water level.

In the past 19 years, the evaporation has resulted in 3/4 mile recession and could recede an additional kilometer in the next 50 years. The water level has dropped by 80 feet in the last 50 years as the sea has shrunk by more than one third of its original size. Not only is this drastic change affecting the way people interact, but it is destroying valuable wildlife and creating hundreds of sinkholes, threatening to collapse the built civilization. The problem lies in the decrease of water coming from the Jordan River due to water being diverted to drinking water and agriculture. The sea does not lie in danger of completely disappearing due to the salt content in the water but it could drop an additional 434 feet.

The governments of Israel and Jordan have begun to work with Norman Foster on a $3 million project to replenish the Dead Sea by creating a series of canals that would draw water from the Red Sea into the Dead Sea from the Gulf of Aqaba. The efforts are to begin by investigating the feasibility of the project. One question remains concerning the mixture of the two types of water. The distance of such canals would be the same distance as part of the state of Florida. This would be a big undertaking on Foster as he is beginning to take the lead on several large scale projects.













This project shows the mega effects of a new system of canals and the impact of the paths of water integrating into the landscape. The land is being displaced in order to encourage water displacement, a positive and negative concept. In similar case studies, such as the cities of Boston and Venice, the water infiltration within the city has wonderous effects and adds to the character and culture of the development. If the use of manmade water canals are saving natural landmarks facing extinction, what are the possibilities for utilizing manmade water canals? How can water integrate with the landscape? How does it affect and in turn be affected by the displacement of the land?