Israel struggles to save the Sea of Galilee

According to the Gospels, more than 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ walked on the waters of the Sea of Galilee.

Nowadays, although it still takes a miracle to do it, the high salinity makes it easier to float in its waters.

This drying up endangers the largest water reserve in Israel, the flow of water that goes from the Jordan River to the Dead Sea has decreased. It also diminishes the appeal of a place that rivals Jerusalem as a destination for Christian visitors.

DESALINATION, A SOLUTION

Israel believes that the best solution is the desalination, in which the country is a world leader. The government plans to double the amount of Mediterranean water that is processed, to channel half of it to the Sea of Galilee, at a distance of 75 kilometers.

The Israelis hope that the winter rains will keep the waters of the sea above that level, until the first desalinated water is brought to the Sea of Galilee next year.

AN ECOLOGICAL DISASTER

Long periods of drought and excessive amounts of water have reduced the level of the lake. In the southern part, an island will soon become a peninsula.

To get to the water, tourists and fishermen have to make their way on the rising muddy beaches.

The water level of the Sea of Galilee has dropped by six meters compared to 2004. In a few weeks, it will reach a “black line”, 214.87 meters below sea level, where there is a risk of permanent contamination and a change of sediment pressure.

“WE DO IT TO SAVE OUR NATURE”

“We are doing this to save our nature, to combat global warming, to prevent the devastating effect of global warming on the Sea of Galilee and to create a very important water storage for the state of Israel”, said Energy Minister, Yuval Steinitz, in charge of water management.

Ecologists welcome the decision to fill the Sea of Galilee with the desalination of Mediterranean water.

In addition, preserving the lake would allow Israel to offer more water to Jordan under a 1994 peace treaty.