The Dead Sea is rapidly disappearing because its water source is being drained

The Dead Sea is currently receding by nearly four feet every year as regional water consumption starves the lake of its primary source.

Decades of water diversion from the Jordan River by Israel, Jordan, and Syria for agriculture and drinking has left the sea with almost no natural inflow. This rapid decline has triggered the opening of thousands of dangerous sinkholes along the coast, destroying local infrastructure and tourist resorts. While some propose a massive 'Red-Dead' canal to pump water from the Red Sea, critics argue the project is too expensive and could permanently damage the lake's unique chemistry.

Regional leaders are now struggling to find a diplomatic and environmental solution before the northern basin becomes a series of stagnant salt ponds.