1 00:00:01,666 --> 00:00:03,833 NARRATOR: The Dead Sea. 2 00:00:03,866 --> 00:00:09,133 One of the most extraordinary places on Earth. 3 00:00:09,166 --> 00:00:11,000 The Dead Sea is unique in many, many aspects-- 4 00:00:11,033 --> 00:00:12,400 its chemistry, 5 00:00:12,433 --> 00:00:13,666 its evolution, 6 00:00:13,700 --> 00:00:15,633 its composition. 7 00:00:15,666 --> 00:00:18,666 NARRATOR: Its healing powers are well-known. 8 00:00:18,700 --> 00:00:22,566 And it was the setting of dramatic events in the Bible. 9 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:24,400 JOAN TAYLOR: It was considered 10 00:00:24,433 --> 00:00:27,866 a very unusual and extraordinary place 11 00:00:27,900 --> 00:00:29,300 in antiquity. 12 00:00:29,333 --> 00:00:30,733 The Dead Sea is very special. 13 00:00:30,766 --> 00:00:32,100 It's a treasure. 14 00:00:32,133 --> 00:00:37,300 NARRATOR: But now this wonder of the world is vanishing, 15 00:00:37,333 --> 00:00:41,333 the shoreline pockmarked with sinkholes. 16 00:00:43,433 --> 00:00:45,500 One-third of the Dead Sea surface has been lost 17 00:00:45,533 --> 00:00:49,000 because of the lack of water. 18 00:00:49,033 --> 00:00:52,600 NARRATOR: The sea is in desperate need of water 19 00:00:52,633 --> 00:00:57,300 in one of the most water-scarce regions on the planet-- 20 00:00:57,333 --> 00:00:59,533 the Middle East. 21 00:00:59,566 --> 00:01:02,100 SHADDAD ATTILI: Access to water is a fundamental 22 00:01:02,133 --> 00:01:03,466 basic human right. 23 00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:06,700 NARRATOR: Now a team of scientists 24 00:01:06,733 --> 00:01:11,433 has developed an innovative and daring plan 25 00:01:11,466 --> 00:01:14,433 to help solve the region's water shortage 26 00:01:14,466 --> 00:01:19,833 and at the same time, save a dying sea. 27 00:01:19,866 --> 00:01:22,200 But will it work? 28 00:01:22,233 --> 00:01:23,533 We can destroy it, 29 00:01:23,566 --> 00:01:26,600 if we intervene too much. 30 00:01:26,633 --> 00:01:30,466 NARRATOR: "Saving the Dead Sea." 31 00:01:30,500 --> 00:01:32,533 Next on "NOVA." 32 00:01:32,566 --> 00:01:36,233 ♪ 33 00:01:38,733 --> 00:01:41,166 Major funding for "NOVA" is provided by the following: 34 00:01:51,933 --> 00:01:56,366 NARRATOR: It is the lowest place on the surface of the Earth, 35 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,866 more than 1,400 feet below sea level, 36 00:02:00,900 --> 00:02:05,266 ten times saltier than any ocean. 37 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,966 In ancient times, this sea was considered a threat. 38 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,700 The way it's presented in the Bible can be... 39 00:02:13,733 --> 00:02:15,100 quite negative. 40 00:02:15,133 --> 00:02:16,800 (fire crackling, people screaming) 41 00:02:16,833 --> 00:02:20,033 Sodom and Gomorrah were engulfed by the Dead Sea 42 00:02:20,066 --> 00:02:23,966 as a punishment by God. 43 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,200 NARRATOR: But this sea has also been treasured 44 00:02:27,233 --> 00:02:29,700 for its unique chemistry. 45 00:02:30,966 --> 00:02:34,433 Aristotle wrote about its remarkable water, 46 00:02:34,466 --> 00:02:38,566 where everything floats. 47 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:43,533 According to legend, Cleopatra ordered her lover, Mark Antony, 48 00:02:43,566 --> 00:02:48,766 to conquer the sea because of its mystical powers. 49 00:02:50,466 --> 00:02:53,833 For thousands of years, pilgrims have come here 50 00:02:53,866 --> 00:02:56,833 to bathe in its healing waters. 51 00:02:59,300 --> 00:03:03,533 The Dead Sea is really very unique, very beautiful. 52 00:03:03,566 --> 00:03:09,900 NARRATOR: But now, this one-of-a-kind sea is receding at an alarming rate. 53 00:03:11,266 --> 00:03:13,266 CARMIT ISH SHALOM: We need a lot of water here. 54 00:03:13,300 --> 00:03:17,100 The water balance here is so in overdraft. 55 00:03:18,633 --> 00:03:24,666 NARRATOR: Back in the 1960s, the shoreline was almost up to the road. 56 00:03:24,700 --> 00:03:27,533 Now, in some areas, 57 00:03:27,566 --> 00:03:30,266 it's a mile away. 58 00:03:31,866 --> 00:03:35,166 And as the water declines, 59 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,233 the beach has become inundated with sinkholes-- 60 00:03:39,266 --> 00:03:43,466 6,000 and counting. 61 00:03:43,500 --> 00:03:45,500 GIDEON HADAS: It's like the craters on the moon, 62 00:03:45,533 --> 00:03:48,700 but here it's not the moon. 63 00:03:48,733 --> 00:03:51,500 This is a dying sea. 64 00:03:51,533 --> 00:03:55,066 NARRATOR: Just three years ago, this beach was visited by tourists 65 00:03:55,100 --> 00:03:58,666 from around the world. 66 00:03:58,700 --> 00:04:01,800 SHALOM: Now they evacuate the place. 67 00:04:02,900 --> 00:04:04,400 All the infrastructures around, 68 00:04:04,433 --> 00:04:07,300 they were being shut down, 69 00:04:07,333 --> 00:04:09,066 like there was a gas station 70 00:04:09,100 --> 00:04:13,600 and there used to be a restaurant here. 71 00:04:13,633 --> 00:04:16,266 It looks like a bombed area. 72 00:04:16,300 --> 00:04:18,166 It looks like a war. 73 00:04:19,533 --> 00:04:20,833 Look at this. 74 00:04:20,866 --> 00:04:24,100 We're just walking on something that used to be road. 75 00:04:24,133 --> 00:04:26,933 This is a very dangerous area. 76 00:04:29,166 --> 00:04:34,366 It is very, very important that something be done here. 77 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:39,266 NARRATOR: Now a massive engineering project is in the works 78 00:04:39,300 --> 00:04:43,066 to bring water back to the sea. 79 00:04:43,100 --> 00:04:45,733 But will it succeed? 80 00:04:45,766 --> 00:04:49,100 Can the Dead Sea be saved? 81 00:04:54,266 --> 00:04:56,166 What's happening to the Dead Sea 82 00:04:56,200 --> 00:05:01,133 is the age-old story of life in the desert: 83 00:05:01,166 --> 00:05:04,500 the story of water. 84 00:05:04,533 --> 00:05:08,333 The Dead Sea is in the heart of the Middle East, 85 00:05:08,366 --> 00:05:11,800 bordered by Israel, the Palestinian Authority, 86 00:05:11,833 --> 00:05:13,433 and Jordan, 87 00:05:13,466 --> 00:05:14,800 a region that is home 88 00:05:14,833 --> 00:05:18,266 to five percent of the world's population, 89 00:05:18,300 --> 00:05:22,300 but just one percent of its water, 90 00:05:22,333 --> 00:05:25,966 making it one of the most water-scarce regions 91 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,866 on the planet. 92 00:05:28,900 --> 00:05:33,100 DANNY RUBINSTEIN: Palestine, Israel, and Jordan are mostly desert. 93 00:05:33,133 --> 00:05:36,433 Since the biblical time, since the beginning of history, 94 00:05:36,466 --> 00:05:40,133 we know that we have a shortage of water. 95 00:05:40,166 --> 00:05:42,033 ♪ 96 00:05:42,066 --> 00:05:43,800 HADAS: The secret of the life 97 00:05:43,833 --> 00:05:45,433 in this area 98 00:05:45,466 --> 00:05:47,133 is the water. 99 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,333 And the rule is, if there is water, there is life 100 00:05:51,366 --> 00:05:54,466 and if there is no water, there is no life. 101 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,933 ATTILI: All people need water. 102 00:05:58,966 --> 00:06:01,200 Israeli as well as the Palestinians, Jordanians, 103 00:06:01,233 --> 00:06:02,466 as a human being. 104 00:06:02,500 --> 00:06:04,733 Water is not a choice. 105 00:06:04,766 --> 00:06:06,366 Water is a must. 106 00:06:08,900 --> 00:06:11,133 NARRATOR: But to solve the region's water shortage, 107 00:06:11,166 --> 00:06:16,633 Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians 108 00:06:16,666 --> 00:06:19,000 have to overcome years of conflict. 109 00:06:19,033 --> 00:06:21,800 (crowd chanting) 110 00:06:21,833 --> 00:06:23,700 It is the most troubled area in the world, 111 00:06:23,733 --> 00:06:25,033 and the Israeli-Arab conflict 112 00:06:25,066 --> 00:06:29,500 has been running for the last 70 years or more. 113 00:06:29,533 --> 00:06:30,766 Always, water is there 114 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,966 if countries want an excuse to initiate a conflict. 115 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,533 ODED FIXLER: Water can be a cause of conflict, 116 00:06:38,566 --> 00:06:44,033 but we will prefer it as a means of cooperation. 117 00:06:44,066 --> 00:06:46,166 NARRATOR: In a unique three-way agreement 118 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,733 between Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians, 119 00:06:49,766 --> 00:06:55,566 a plan was developed called the Red Sea-Dead Sea Project. 120 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,500 The Red Sea-Dead Sea Conveyance Project 121 00:06:59,533 --> 00:07:04,533 speaks about supplying drinking water for the Middle East 122 00:07:04,566 --> 00:07:07,666 and stabilizing the Dead Sea, 123 00:07:07,700 --> 00:07:10,100 that's what the Red Sea-Dead Sea is about. 124 00:07:10,133 --> 00:07:11,466 ♪ 125 00:07:11,500 --> 00:07:14,466 NARRATOR: It is an elaborate plan with many steps. 126 00:07:15,566 --> 00:07:18,333 Jordan will get more water through a pipeline 127 00:07:18,366 --> 00:07:22,533 from a lake in Israel called the Sea of Galilee. 128 00:07:22,566 --> 00:07:26,533 The Palestinian Authority will get more water, too, 129 00:07:26,566 --> 00:07:31,133 from the existing Israeli water system. 130 00:07:31,166 --> 00:07:35,033 And in Southern Jordan, a desalination plant 131 00:07:35,066 --> 00:07:38,033 will be built on the shores of the Red Sea. 132 00:07:38,066 --> 00:07:41,800 The salty leftovers from the process of desalination, 133 00:07:41,833 --> 00:07:43,633 called brine, 134 00:07:43,666 --> 00:07:47,900 will be transported through a massive pipeline 135 00:07:47,933 --> 00:07:51,900 and emptied into the Dead Sea to raise its level. 136 00:07:51,933 --> 00:07:56,033 FIXLER: It's a regional cooperation project. 137 00:07:56,066 --> 00:08:00,000 I think it's the first one and the biggest one 138 00:08:00,033 --> 00:08:04,033 between Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority. 139 00:08:04,066 --> 00:08:05,633 ♪ 140 00:08:05,666 --> 00:08:08,600 NARRATOR: This plan could represent an important step 141 00:08:08,633 --> 00:08:10,933 in bringing peace to the region, 142 00:08:10,966 --> 00:08:16,566 but at the same time, is it good for the Dead Sea? 143 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:20,300 It is one of the world's largest water experiments 144 00:08:20,333 --> 00:08:22,866 and no one is sure if it will work. 145 00:08:22,900 --> 00:08:26,300 ♪ 146 00:08:26,333 --> 00:08:28,800 For scientists, the project is an enormous challenge 147 00:08:28,833 --> 00:08:34,100 that involves linking two seas that have never been connected 148 00:08:34,133 --> 00:08:36,866 in all of human history: 149 00:08:36,900 --> 00:08:39,833 the Red Sea... 150 00:08:39,866 --> 00:08:41,966 and the Dead Sea. 151 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,333 The geology of the region has made the Dead Sea 152 00:08:48,366 --> 00:08:53,500 one of the most mineral-rich bodies of water on Earth. 153 00:08:53,533 --> 00:08:58,066 No one knows exactly how a massive influx of Red Sea brine, 154 00:08:58,100 --> 00:09:01,900 the leftovers from the proposed Jordanian desalination plant, 155 00:09:01,933 --> 00:09:05,866 will affect its unique chemistry. 156 00:09:05,900 --> 00:09:09,833 JIWCHAR GANOR: The composition of the water is very complicated. 157 00:09:09,866 --> 00:09:15,500 It's not similar to any other seawater on Earth. 158 00:09:15,533 --> 00:09:18,766 Every time that we are working with the Dead Sea, 159 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:20,600 we have many surprises. 160 00:09:20,633 --> 00:09:21,966 ♪ 161 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:26,200 Here, at Ben-Gurion University in Be'er Sheva, Israel, 162 00:09:26,233 --> 00:09:29,766 researchers are trying to eliminate those surprises. 163 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,900 (speaking Hebrew) 164 00:09:32,933 --> 00:09:35,600 NARRATOR: They're mixing Red Sea water, or brine, 165 00:09:35,633 --> 00:09:40,100 with the unique water of the Dead Sea. 166 00:09:40,133 --> 00:09:44,400 GANOR: In the laboratory, we're trying to do experiment. 167 00:09:44,433 --> 00:09:47,933 We are playing with different ratio, 168 00:09:47,966 --> 00:09:50,766 different concentration, 169 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:52,366 different temperature-- 170 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:54,300 we're playing with all the conditions 171 00:09:54,333 --> 00:09:56,466 in order to learn 172 00:09:56,500 --> 00:09:59,100 what will happen to the Dead Sea. 173 00:09:59,133 --> 00:10:05,533 NARRATOR: After months of mixing, they make an alarming observation. 174 00:10:05,566 --> 00:10:09,333 The Dead Sea, instead of the regular color, 175 00:10:09,366 --> 00:10:11,600 could turn white. 176 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,933 NARRATOR: Tiny white crystals could form. 177 00:10:16,966 --> 00:10:22,233 There's no doubt it will be a shocking aesthetic change. 178 00:10:22,266 --> 00:10:25,966 What causes this strange transformation? 179 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,200 A mineral called gypsum. 180 00:10:30,233 --> 00:10:34,633 It's used in plaster of Paris, wallboards, 181 00:10:34,666 --> 00:10:36,900 orthopedic casts-- 182 00:10:36,933 --> 00:10:39,700 even toothpaste. 183 00:10:39,733 --> 00:10:44,133 Gypsum is a combination of calcium and sulfate. 184 00:10:45,833 --> 00:10:49,666 It turns out that the Dead Sea is rich in calcium 185 00:10:49,700 --> 00:10:53,200 and the Red Sea rich in sulfate. 186 00:10:53,233 --> 00:10:54,400 GANOR: Combined together, 187 00:10:54,433 --> 00:10:56,066 you get gypsum crystals. 188 00:10:56,100 --> 00:10:59,400 NARRATOR: In the lab, some of the concoctions 189 00:10:59,433 --> 00:11:00,533 the scientists cook up 190 00:11:00,566 --> 00:11:05,100 form gypsum in a matter of hours. 191 00:11:05,133 --> 00:11:08,666 How long this process will take when Red Sea brine 192 00:11:08,700 --> 00:11:11,900 meets the Dead Sea on a massive scale 193 00:11:11,933 --> 00:11:14,033 is unclear. 194 00:11:14,066 --> 00:11:18,033 Will it take years, or perhaps never happen at all? 195 00:11:18,066 --> 00:11:20,633 GANOR: If we say that there is something 196 00:11:20,666 --> 00:11:22,400 that we fully understand, 197 00:11:22,433 --> 00:11:27,333 then we... basically, we are lying to ourselves. 198 00:11:27,366 --> 00:11:30,200 I think that being a geologist, 199 00:11:30,233 --> 00:11:33,400 one of the things I learned is modesty. 200 00:11:33,433 --> 00:11:37,966 The condition in nature are much more complicated 201 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,833 than in the laboratory. 202 00:11:40,866 --> 00:11:44,700 NARRATOR: To play it safe, the scientists recommend 203 00:11:44,733 --> 00:11:47,900 bringing in a small amount of Red Sea brine to start. 204 00:11:47,933 --> 00:11:50,633 MARKEL: You don't want to come to help the Dead Sea 205 00:11:50,666 --> 00:11:53,000 and find yourself harming it. 206 00:11:53,033 --> 00:11:56,766 Therefore, the decision is to go in stages. 207 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:01,666 NARRATOR: And if a smaller amount doesn't affect the sea's chemistry, 208 00:12:01,700 --> 00:12:05,800 they'll add in more, bit by bit. 209 00:12:05,833 --> 00:12:07,400 And in the future, 210 00:12:07,433 --> 00:12:10,533 when we will have the second stage and the third stage, 211 00:12:10,566 --> 00:12:14,233 the Dead Sea will be stabilized, finally. 212 00:12:15,500 --> 00:12:20,633 NARRATOR: Stabilizing the sea will end its decline. 213 00:12:20,666 --> 00:12:23,966 But the amount of Red Sea brine it will require each year 214 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,533 is hard to fathom-- 215 00:12:27,566 --> 00:12:32,766 almost 200 billion gallons. 216 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:37,800 But whitening is just one of the challenges. 217 00:12:37,833 --> 00:12:42,933 Brine from the Red Sea is only about seven percent salt, 218 00:12:42,966 --> 00:12:47,400 while the Dead Sea is a whopping 34%. 219 00:12:47,433 --> 00:12:48,666 Mix them together, 220 00:12:48,700 --> 00:12:53,033 and it could lower the Dead Sea's salt content, 221 00:12:53,066 --> 00:12:58,033 and that might turn the sea red. 222 00:12:58,066 --> 00:13:01,733 Just like it did right outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, 223 00:13:01,766 --> 00:13:05,400 in America's Great Salt Lake. 224 00:13:05,433 --> 00:13:07,466 When one flies over the Great Salt Lake, 225 00:13:07,500 --> 00:13:11,333 one sees that the northern lake is in fact red. 226 00:13:11,366 --> 00:13:15,100 NARRATOR: A large causeway divides the lake in two. 227 00:13:15,133 --> 00:13:18,533 One end gets very little fresh water, 228 00:13:18,566 --> 00:13:22,933 and when its salt content rose to more than 25%, 229 00:13:22,966 --> 00:13:27,033 it became the perfect breeding ground for algae. 230 00:13:27,066 --> 00:13:32,933 Researchers estimate mixing Red Sea brine and Dead Sea water 231 00:13:32,966 --> 00:13:36,300 will hit the same salty sweet spot, 232 00:13:36,333 --> 00:13:40,166 and the sea could turn red. 233 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:42,366 In fact, the growth of algae has occurred 234 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:47,400 in other salt lakes, like Lake Retba in Senegal 235 00:13:47,433 --> 00:13:51,733 and Lake Hillier in Australia. 236 00:13:51,766 --> 00:13:55,433 Unlike red tide, the algae that might grow here 237 00:13:55,466 --> 00:13:58,033 would not be harmful to humans, 238 00:13:58,066 --> 00:14:02,800 but the sea might never look the same. 239 00:14:02,833 --> 00:14:04,566 As scientists, we say, "Look, this is a consequence 240 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:09,400 of what can we foresee and what can we predict." 241 00:14:10,533 --> 00:14:12,766 NARRATOR: Predicting how nature will respond 242 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,833 to the mixing of two very different seas 243 00:14:15,866 --> 00:14:21,200 is just one of the problems researchers face. 244 00:14:21,233 --> 00:14:24,333 Unraveling the mystery of where and when 245 00:14:24,366 --> 00:14:27,700 the next Dead Sea sinkhole will form 246 00:14:27,733 --> 00:14:29,266 is another. 247 00:14:31,333 --> 00:14:34,500 Geo-hydrologist Carmit Ish Shalom 248 00:14:34,533 --> 00:14:38,133 is trying to do just that. 249 00:14:39,300 --> 00:14:40,766 For years, she measured sinkholes 250 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,933 the "old-fashioned way": 251 00:14:43,966 --> 00:14:47,133 with a measuring tape. 252 00:14:47,166 --> 00:14:50,500 SHALOM: It's very, very sophisticated. 253 00:14:50,533 --> 00:14:54,000 Just throw it down there. 254 00:14:54,033 --> 00:14:58,366 NARRATOR: But for areas where sinkholes are just beginning to develop... 255 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:01,500 (drone whirring) 256 00:15:01,533 --> 00:15:03,733 ...she uses a drone. 257 00:15:07,566 --> 00:15:09,566 SHALOM: We can see the whole sinkhole 258 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,266 from above, 259 00:15:12,300 --> 00:15:13,766 and we can see how big it is. 260 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:15,200 (drone whirring) 261 00:15:15,233 --> 00:15:17,366 (speaking Hebrew) 262 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:21,300 SHALOM: Each month, we are monitoring them, 263 00:15:21,333 --> 00:15:26,766 trying to see the changes in the size, in the depth, 264 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:31,233 how fast they form. 265 00:15:31,266 --> 00:15:32,800 There's many kinds of sinkholes in the world. 266 00:15:32,833 --> 00:15:38,600 The kind that we have here in the Dead Sea is very unique. 267 00:15:38,633 --> 00:15:42,400 NARRATOR: Most sinkholes form in rock, like limestone, 268 00:15:42,433 --> 00:15:46,000 but here at the Dead Sea, they're caused by salt. 269 00:15:46,033 --> 00:15:48,533 ♪ 270 00:15:48,566 --> 00:15:50,066 As the sea declines, 271 00:15:50,100 --> 00:15:55,366 an underground layer of dry salt is left behind. 272 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:58,333 Fresh water, like in winter flash floods, 273 00:15:58,366 --> 00:16:02,766 saturates that salt, which quickly dissolves, 274 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,533 creating an underground cavity. 275 00:16:07,133 --> 00:16:09,866 Over time, it grows bigger, 276 00:16:09,900 --> 00:16:13,066 until, suddenly, without warning, 277 00:16:13,100 --> 00:16:15,766 the earth above it caves in. 278 00:16:18,333 --> 00:16:22,700 While the cause of Dead Sea sinkholes is well known, 279 00:16:22,733 --> 00:16:25,233 after 20 years of careful measurement, 280 00:16:25,266 --> 00:16:30,533 there is still no detectable pattern for sinkhole formation. 281 00:16:30,566 --> 00:16:35,833 Each sinkhole seems to follow its own rules. 282 00:16:35,866 --> 00:16:39,866 SHALOM: We don't really know when the next one will form, 283 00:16:39,900 --> 00:16:42,400 next year, or maybe two years from now, 284 00:16:42,433 --> 00:16:44,166 or maybe tomorrow. 285 00:16:45,666 --> 00:16:49,666 It is just a miracle that nobody got hurt or died 286 00:16:49,700 --> 00:16:51,233 in a sinkhole. 287 00:16:53,366 --> 00:16:57,366 NARRATOR: But if the sea doesn't get more water, that could change. 288 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:01,800 More sinkholes will form-- 289 00:17:01,833 --> 00:17:05,733 as many as 500 a year are predicted. 290 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:11,366 What brought the Dead Sea to such a sorry state? 291 00:17:13,099 --> 00:17:14,900 GAVRIELI: Really, the Dead Sea is the victim. 292 00:17:14,933 --> 00:17:16,166 The Dead Sea is the ultimate victim 293 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:18,099 of the water shortage in our region. 294 00:17:20,166 --> 00:17:24,333 NARRATOR: To understand why, we travel from the arid desert 295 00:17:24,366 --> 00:17:29,833 to the Sea of Galilee in lush, green Northern Israel. 296 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,633 This sea has played a vital role in the history of the region 297 00:17:35,666 --> 00:17:39,000 as well as the history of the Dead Sea. 298 00:17:39,033 --> 00:17:41,833 MARKEL: The Sea of Galilee 299 00:17:41,866 --> 00:17:46,633 is actually the one and only freshwater lake in Israel 300 00:17:46,666 --> 00:17:51,133 producing water for years for all the country. 301 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:57,900 NARRATOR: Water from the Sea of Galilee flows south 302 00:17:57,933 --> 00:18:03,766 down an ancient river rich in history. 303 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:05,133 JONAS BODIN: The Jordan River 304 00:18:05,166 --> 00:18:07,866 is the actual site where John the Baptist 305 00:18:07,900 --> 00:18:09,433 was baptizing Jesus. 306 00:18:10,766 --> 00:18:13,966 NARRATOR: And for thousands of years, the Jordan River 307 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:20,200 provided a constant supply of water to the Dead Sea. 308 00:18:20,233 --> 00:18:27,433 That is, until a powerful force altered nature's plan-- us. 309 00:18:29,666 --> 00:18:31,933 Back in the 1950s, 310 00:18:31,966 --> 00:18:34,066 when the population of Israel was growing, 311 00:18:34,100 --> 00:18:38,466 the young country was in desperate need of water. 312 00:18:38,500 --> 00:18:39,900 FIXLER: When you have growing needs, 313 00:18:39,933 --> 00:18:44,400 you have to supply more water, not only for agriculture, 314 00:18:44,433 --> 00:18:47,266 but also for domestic use. 315 00:18:47,300 --> 00:18:52,033 NARRATOR: So Israeli engineers came up with a novel idea, 316 00:18:52,066 --> 00:18:56,766 a way to expand the Galilee's reach. 317 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,833 They built the National Water Carrier, 318 00:18:59,866 --> 00:19:03,833 a massive series of open canals, pumps, and pipes 319 00:19:03,866 --> 00:19:06,766 that diverted millions of gallons of water 320 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,666 from the Sea of Galilee. 321 00:19:09,700 --> 00:19:14,700 Water that once flowed down the Jordan River into the Dead Sea 322 00:19:14,733 --> 00:19:19,000 instead went to cities on the Mediterranean coastline 323 00:19:19,033 --> 00:19:21,466 and to the Negev 324 00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:25,000 to make the desert bloom. 325 00:19:25,033 --> 00:19:31,066 FIXLER: And by doing this, we could settle people in the desert. 326 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:34,966 NARRATOR: But in the process, 327 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,566 the Dead Sea's main source of water 328 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:39,233 was cut off. 329 00:19:39,266 --> 00:19:41,800 So was an important source of water 330 00:19:41,833 --> 00:19:47,233 for Jordanian and Palestinian farmers and communities. 331 00:19:47,266 --> 00:19:49,266 YANA ABU TALEB: Over 96% of the water 332 00:19:49,300 --> 00:19:51,566 flowing from the Jordan River into the Dead Sea 333 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,966 has been diverted and no longer reaches the Dead Sea. 334 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,200 This is a man-made disaster. 335 00:19:58,233 --> 00:19:59,566 What happened to the Dead Sea 336 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:02,733 is a man-made disaster. 337 00:20:04,566 --> 00:20:05,733 ATTILI: Those who doesn't know 338 00:20:05,766 --> 00:20:06,900 about the Jordan River, 339 00:20:06,933 --> 00:20:08,766 they think it's like Mississippi or Amazon. 340 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,833 It's a stream, it's not even a stream. 341 00:20:14,300 --> 00:20:16,633 SHALOM: When people closed the Jordan River, 342 00:20:16,666 --> 00:20:18,033 they never thought, 343 00:20:18,066 --> 00:20:21,466 is it safe to do it, is it okay to do it? 344 00:20:21,500 --> 00:20:24,633 NARRATOR: But the National Water Carrier is not the only cause 345 00:20:24,666 --> 00:20:26,633 of the Dead Sea's decline. 346 00:20:26,666 --> 00:20:28,000 ♪ 347 00:20:28,033 --> 00:20:31,800 Today, Israel and Jordan are mining the sea 348 00:20:31,833 --> 00:20:36,633 for a valuable mineral called potash, 349 00:20:36,666 --> 00:20:39,300 a form of potassium and a key ingredient 350 00:20:39,333 --> 00:20:43,700 used in fertilizers worldwide. 351 00:20:43,733 --> 00:20:46,833 Potash is a major income 352 00:20:46,866 --> 00:20:51,300 and a major employment to Jordanian and Israelis. 353 00:20:51,333 --> 00:20:52,933 For Jordan, this is a business 354 00:20:52,966 --> 00:20:55,033 of half a billion dollars per year. 355 00:20:56,133 --> 00:20:58,933 NARRATOR: And in Israel, along with potash, 356 00:20:58,966 --> 00:21:00,233 the Dead Sea Works produces 357 00:21:00,266 --> 00:21:04,766 a number of products like magnesium chloride, 358 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,200 table salts, and bromide. 359 00:21:07,233 --> 00:21:09,833 It employs thousands of people, 360 00:21:09,866 --> 00:21:14,000 and brings billions into the economy. 361 00:21:14,033 --> 00:21:16,633 RUBINSTEIN: The land of Israel doesn't have 362 00:21:16,666 --> 00:21:17,933 natural resources. 363 00:21:17,966 --> 00:21:19,800 We don't have copper, we don't have steel, 364 00:21:19,833 --> 00:21:23,733 we don't have coal, we don't-- we don't have almost nothing. 365 00:21:23,766 --> 00:21:28,266 We have only one natural resource: the Dead Sea. 366 00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:29,766 ♪ 367 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,366 NARRATOR: In order to access these resources, 368 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,433 both Israel and Jordan have transformed 369 00:21:35,466 --> 00:21:38,800 the southern part of the Dead Sea 370 00:21:38,833 --> 00:21:43,200 into a series of artificial evaporation ponds. 371 00:21:43,233 --> 00:21:44,366 SHALOM: This is not a sea. 372 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:47,600 It's, it's part of a factory. 373 00:21:47,633 --> 00:21:49,233 (chuckles) 374 00:21:49,266 --> 00:21:52,933 NARRATOR: The ponds are on average only six feet deep, 375 00:21:52,966 --> 00:21:57,266 which makes it easier to dredge for minerals. 376 00:21:57,300 --> 00:21:59,166 But it also creates a problem 377 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:02,300 that can best be seen from space. 378 00:22:04,266 --> 00:22:07,700 This satellite image reveals the Dead Sea is divided 379 00:22:07,733 --> 00:22:13,333 into two strikingly different basins: 380 00:22:13,366 --> 00:22:17,933 the northern basin, where sinkholes abound, 381 00:22:17,966 --> 00:22:21,933 and the southern basin, where the potash industry thrives. 382 00:22:24,166 --> 00:22:26,533 As minerals are dredged from the sea, 383 00:22:26,566 --> 00:22:30,100 the shallow ponds need to be replenished. 384 00:22:30,133 --> 00:22:33,733 So the potash industry pumps water 385 00:22:33,766 --> 00:22:34,833 from the northern basin 386 00:22:34,866 --> 00:22:38,133 into the ponds. 387 00:22:38,166 --> 00:22:43,366 These satellite images taken between 1972 and 2011 388 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:46,533 reveal a stark reality. 389 00:22:46,566 --> 00:22:50,000 As water is pumped out of the northern basin, 390 00:22:50,033 --> 00:22:52,066 it's shrinking. 391 00:22:53,766 --> 00:22:56,033 (truck beeping) 392 00:22:56,066 --> 00:23:00,233 But the potash industry is not the only stakeholder. 393 00:23:00,266 --> 00:23:01,733 ♪ 394 00:23:01,766 --> 00:23:06,800 So is another industry, and one of Israel's biggest: 395 00:23:06,833 --> 00:23:09,100 tourism, 396 00:23:09,133 --> 00:23:12,400 which brings in $5 billion 397 00:23:12,433 --> 00:23:15,300 to the Israeli economy every year. 398 00:23:15,333 --> 00:23:17,533 ♪ 399 00:23:17,566 --> 00:23:20,333 This is Ein Bokek, 400 00:23:20,366 --> 00:23:24,566 where tourists come to float in the salty water. 401 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,400 In fact, the sea's high salt content 402 00:23:27,433 --> 00:23:30,000 makes the water so dense, 403 00:23:30,033 --> 00:23:33,300 swimming is almost impossible, 404 00:23:33,333 --> 00:23:36,566 but floating with a book remarkably easy. 405 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:38,866 ♪ 406 00:23:38,900 --> 00:23:41,933 Since antiquity, travelers have come here 407 00:23:41,966 --> 00:23:45,300 to bathe in the sea's mineral-rich water, 408 00:23:45,333 --> 00:23:47,533 cherished for its power to heal. 409 00:23:50,133 --> 00:23:52,933 Elisabeth Lietmann has been coming here once a year 410 00:23:52,966 --> 00:23:54,933 since she was 14. 411 00:23:54,966 --> 00:23:58,833 For her, just breathing the air helps treat her eczema, 412 00:23:58,866 --> 00:24:02,300 a debilitating skin disorder. 413 00:24:02,333 --> 00:24:03,966 LIETMANN: It's very painful. 414 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:05,566 It keeps you from sleeping, 415 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,133 it keeps you from concentrating, keeps you from work. 416 00:24:10,100 --> 00:24:12,966 After about one week, ten days, 417 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:16,900 the symptoms are mostly gone, 418 00:24:16,933 --> 00:24:19,566 and I'm beautiful again. 419 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,866 NARRATOR: Researchers have discovered the secret 420 00:24:22,900 --> 00:24:25,166 behind Elisabeth's recovery-- 421 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:26,966 minerals. 422 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,533 The Dead Sea has 20 times the potassium, 423 00:24:30,566 --> 00:24:32,700 80 times the bromine, 424 00:24:32,733 --> 00:24:38,000 and 32 times the magnesium of regular seawater. 425 00:24:38,033 --> 00:24:42,400 By normalizing cell growth and reducing inflammation, 426 00:24:42,433 --> 00:24:47,300 magnesium can help heal a variety of skin diseases. 427 00:24:47,333 --> 00:24:48,966 MARCO HARARI: The Dead Sea has plenty 428 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:50,133 of magnesium. 429 00:24:50,166 --> 00:24:53,133 We have it in the air, in the rocks around us, 430 00:24:53,166 --> 00:24:54,133 in the mountains, 431 00:24:54,166 --> 00:24:56,166 and we have it also in the waters. 432 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:00,000 So we are the golden city of magnesium. 433 00:25:01,500 --> 00:25:05,166 I've spent the 40 last years of my life here, 434 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:09,133 and I am still amazed by the results that we can obtain. 435 00:25:09,166 --> 00:25:10,933 ♪ 436 00:25:10,966 --> 00:25:15,866 NARRATOR: What makes the sea so rich in healing minerals? 437 00:25:15,900 --> 00:25:20,000 Geologist Shmuel Marco has spent decades 438 00:25:20,033 --> 00:25:23,100 exploring the Dead Sea region, 439 00:25:23,133 --> 00:25:26,866 uncovering clues to answer this question. 440 00:25:26,900 --> 00:25:30,333 The sea's unique chemistry is intricately linked 441 00:25:30,366 --> 00:25:35,400 to where and how it formed. 442 00:25:35,433 --> 00:25:36,900 The special thing about this place 443 00:25:36,933 --> 00:25:40,233 is that it's a rupture in the crust of the Earth. 444 00:25:40,266 --> 00:25:44,000 It's where the two pieces of the Earth break from each other. 445 00:25:44,033 --> 00:25:46,766 They move against each other. 446 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:49,900 NARRATOR: The Dead Sea region was formed 447 00:25:49,933 --> 00:25:53,400 when the crust of the Earth broke into two pieces, 448 00:25:53,433 --> 00:25:57,966 the African plate and the Arabian plate. 449 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:00,600 As these plates moved against each other, 450 00:26:00,633 --> 00:26:05,633 they formed deep gaps in the surface of the Earth. 451 00:26:05,666 --> 00:26:08,533 About 20,000 years ago, 452 00:26:08,566 --> 00:26:09,833 in the last glacial time, 453 00:26:09,866 --> 00:26:14,133 when glaciers covered large parts of the Earth, 454 00:26:14,166 --> 00:26:17,766 the gap filled with water. 455 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,300 We call it Lake Lisan. 456 00:26:20,333 --> 00:26:21,900 And it filled the whole valley, 457 00:26:21,933 --> 00:26:23,966 from the Sea of Galilee in the north 458 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,233 to the Arava Valley in the south. 459 00:26:26,266 --> 00:26:32,133 NARRATOR: As time passed, Lake Lisan grew smaller and smaller, 460 00:26:32,166 --> 00:26:35,600 eventually turning into the Sea of Galilee, 461 00:26:35,633 --> 00:26:40,133 the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea. 462 00:26:40,166 --> 00:26:44,600 The Dead Sea is a terminal lake-- 463 00:26:44,633 --> 00:26:46,966 water flows in, but can't flow out, 464 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,633 because it has no outlet. 465 00:26:49,666 --> 00:26:54,600 In this hot, arid desert, it evaporated. 466 00:26:54,633 --> 00:26:56,066 What was left? 467 00:26:56,100 --> 00:27:00,700 Water saturated with salt. 468 00:27:01,966 --> 00:27:05,733 This salty water interacted with the surrounding rocks, 469 00:27:05,766 --> 00:27:12,000 leaving behind a sea rich in minerals. 470 00:27:12,033 --> 00:27:15,566 This abundance of minerals has made the southern basin 471 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:19,966 an economic powerhouse. 472 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,266 The same can't be said for the northern basin. 473 00:27:24,300 --> 00:27:30,400 The consequences of the sea's decline can be felt everywhere. 474 00:27:30,433 --> 00:27:34,900 This once lucrative date grove, at kibbutz Ein Gedi, 475 00:27:34,933 --> 00:27:39,500 was abandoned after a worker suddenly fell into a sinkhole. 476 00:27:39,533 --> 00:27:44,866 So far, 25 acres of date and mango groves 477 00:27:44,900 --> 00:27:47,533 have been destroyed, 478 00:27:47,566 --> 00:27:48,833 and the number of visitors 479 00:27:48,866 --> 00:27:51,300 to Ein Gedi's world-famous spa 480 00:27:51,333 --> 00:27:52,733 is dwindling. 481 00:27:52,766 --> 00:27:55,666 The beach is so far away, 482 00:27:55,700 --> 00:27:59,400 you need to take a tram to get to the water's edge, 483 00:27:59,433 --> 00:28:02,733 which once came right up to the spa. 484 00:28:05,933 --> 00:28:09,300 All told, by the end of 2017, 485 00:28:09,333 --> 00:28:15,100 Ein Gedi had incurred more than $30 million in damages. 486 00:28:15,133 --> 00:28:17,233 Who knows what will be in the future? 487 00:28:17,266 --> 00:28:21,166 It doesn't sound good. 488 00:28:22,833 --> 00:28:24,266 NARRATOR: Up the road from the spa 489 00:28:24,300 --> 00:28:27,066 is an excavation site, where Gideon Hadas 490 00:28:27,100 --> 00:28:31,666 has spent decades preserving Ein Gedi's rich history. 491 00:28:31,700 --> 00:28:35,066 HADAS: We have a history of 1,000 years of Jewish settlement 492 00:28:35,100 --> 00:28:37,066 from the seventh century BCE 493 00:28:37,100 --> 00:28:39,266 until to the sixth century Common Era. 494 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:44,666 TAYLOR: This is a region where there's some amazing archaeology. 495 00:28:44,700 --> 00:28:46,433 Whether you are going down on the Israel side 496 00:28:46,466 --> 00:28:48,133 or the Jordan side, 497 00:28:48,166 --> 00:28:50,366 or going into the Palestine National Authority 498 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:51,333 and going to Jericho, 499 00:28:51,366 --> 00:28:56,133 the archaeology is just fantastic. 500 00:28:56,166 --> 00:28:58,100 EL NASER: The Dead Sea Basin includes 501 00:28:58,133 --> 00:29:02,766 the most important sites for all religions, 502 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,566 Judaism, Christianity, and Muslim. 503 00:29:08,166 --> 00:29:12,533 NARRATOR: The ancient ruins of Masada are here. 504 00:29:12,566 --> 00:29:18,233 The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in caves near the sea. 505 00:29:18,266 --> 00:29:20,900 And as the sea has receded, 506 00:29:20,933 --> 00:29:22,900 Gideon even discovered evidence 507 00:29:22,933 --> 00:29:26,800 that ancient ships once sailed here on the salty sea. 508 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:30,866 HADAS: I was walking on the beach, 509 00:29:30,900 --> 00:29:33,133 I look at this stone, 510 00:29:33,166 --> 00:29:35,333 and I look at it and I look at it. 511 00:29:35,366 --> 00:29:37,333 I say, "Wow, that's a Roman anchor." 512 00:29:37,366 --> 00:29:42,500 NARRATOR: These stone anchors date back to the first century B.C. 513 00:29:42,533 --> 00:29:45,500 TAYLOR: The Dead Sea had trade routes 514 00:29:45,533 --> 00:29:50,000 leading east to Arabia and beyond. 515 00:29:50,033 --> 00:29:53,966 So, it wasn't as disconnected as you might imagine. 516 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:55,600 It's not a sort of wilderness place 517 00:29:55,633 --> 00:29:56,733 in the back of beyond. 518 00:29:56,766 --> 00:29:59,566 It was really key to ancient economics. 519 00:30:01,100 --> 00:30:02,433 NARRATOR: But today, 520 00:30:02,466 --> 00:30:04,900 the economy on the Israeli side of the northern basin 521 00:30:04,933 --> 00:30:07,833 is imploding, 522 00:30:07,866 --> 00:30:11,066 and no one knows how long living here 523 00:30:11,100 --> 00:30:14,866 will be sustainable. 524 00:30:14,900 --> 00:30:19,166 Just 50 miles away, across the border in Amman, Jordan, 525 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:22,500 the region's water shortage has also reached 526 00:30:22,533 --> 00:30:24,666 a dangerous threshold. 527 00:30:24,700 --> 00:30:28,700 The country's population, just 900,000 in the 1960s, 528 00:30:28,733 --> 00:30:33,766 has skyrocketed to close to ten million. 529 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,466 In just the last few years, 530 00:30:36,500 --> 00:30:40,166 more than a million refugees have poured in 531 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,166 from war-torn Syria. 532 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:47,300 The impact of the Syrian refugees on Jordan 533 00:30:47,333 --> 00:30:49,100 is huge, 534 00:30:49,133 --> 00:30:52,200 and this additional demand increases our water demand 535 00:30:52,233 --> 00:30:54,566 by 22%. 536 00:30:58,733 --> 00:31:00,900 NARRATOR: In an effort to conserve, 537 00:31:00,933 --> 00:31:03,700 the government limits the number of days 538 00:31:03,733 --> 00:31:06,366 running water is available. 539 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:10,800 (translated): Here, in Jordan, we get water once a week, 540 00:31:10,833 --> 00:31:13,400 so we use and store as much as we can 541 00:31:13,433 --> 00:31:15,033 in one day. 542 00:31:17,566 --> 00:31:20,000 NARRATOR: But there's a novel way 543 00:31:20,033 --> 00:31:22,266 women are tackling Jordan's water shortage. 544 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:27,166 ♪ 545 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,766 They're learning a new trade: 546 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:33,733 plumbing. 547 00:31:33,766 --> 00:31:38,100 (translated): When I told my family about the training, 548 00:31:38,133 --> 00:31:40,733 they laughed, because they thought I was joking. 549 00:31:42,933 --> 00:31:45,300 NARRATOR: Many Muslim women are not permitted 550 00:31:45,333 --> 00:31:47,933 to be home alone with a male who is not a family member. 551 00:31:49,533 --> 00:31:52,200 This delays repairs, 552 00:31:52,233 --> 00:31:54,266 and billions of gallons of water 553 00:31:54,300 --> 00:31:56,600 are lost through leaky pipes. 554 00:31:56,633 --> 00:31:59,400 (Shdeafat speaking Arabic) 555 00:31:59,433 --> 00:32:02,500 (translated): If we women learn this job, 556 00:32:02,533 --> 00:32:03,900 we will be better at it than men, 557 00:32:03,933 --> 00:32:07,166 because we are always learning better than men. 558 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:12,633 NARRATOR: Conservation is making a difference, 559 00:32:12,666 --> 00:32:14,933 but it's not enough. 560 00:32:16,433 --> 00:32:20,133 As the need for water in Jordan and in the Palestinian Authority 561 00:32:20,166 --> 00:32:21,733 becomes more pressing, 562 00:32:21,766 --> 00:32:26,166 it will continue to be an issue. 563 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:29,300 Water is one of the core issue of the conflict 564 00:32:29,333 --> 00:32:32,000 between Palestinian and Israelis, 565 00:32:32,033 --> 00:32:34,266 but also water is the issue 566 00:32:34,300 --> 00:32:36,500 where the party keep talking to each other, 567 00:32:36,533 --> 00:32:37,933 despite the difficult time. 568 00:32:37,966 --> 00:32:40,133 NARRATOR: This is where 569 00:32:40,166 --> 00:32:42,533 the Red Sea-Dead Sea Conveyance Project 570 00:32:42,566 --> 00:32:45,200 can make a real difference, 571 00:32:45,233 --> 00:32:48,366 and perhaps even end 572 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:52,633 the region's age-old water shortage. 573 00:32:52,666 --> 00:32:53,933 The key to its success 574 00:32:53,966 --> 00:32:59,000 is a technology Israel has spent decades perfecting: 575 00:32:59,033 --> 00:33:01,033 desalination. 576 00:33:01,066 --> 00:33:02,133 FIXLER: We solved our problems 577 00:33:02,166 --> 00:33:05,266 by manufacturing water. 578 00:33:07,100 --> 00:33:08,366 MARKEL: During the last decade, 579 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:13,866 Israel has constructed five huge desalination plants 580 00:33:13,900 --> 00:33:16,900 right on the shore of the Mediterranean. 581 00:33:18,733 --> 00:33:21,733 NARRATOR: Desalination, another essential part 582 00:33:21,766 --> 00:33:24,833 of the Red Sea-Dead Sea Project, 583 00:33:24,866 --> 00:33:27,233 is the process of transforming seawater 584 00:33:27,266 --> 00:33:30,500 into fresh water good enough to drink. 585 00:33:30,533 --> 00:33:32,700 Israeli scientists and engineers 586 00:33:32,733 --> 00:33:36,700 spent years improving this process, 587 00:33:36,733 --> 00:33:39,800 making it more affordable. 588 00:33:39,833 --> 00:33:42,633 Seawater is carried by pumps 589 00:33:42,666 --> 00:33:44,333 into massive pools , 590 00:33:44,366 --> 00:33:46,733 where it passes through a layer of sand. 591 00:33:46,766 --> 00:33:51,233 Large objects like seaweed and the occasional fish 592 00:33:51,266 --> 00:33:52,900 are left behind. 593 00:33:52,933 --> 00:33:57,800 Next, the water travels through fine filters 594 00:33:57,833 --> 00:34:01,500 that remove microscopic particles like bacteria. 595 00:34:01,533 --> 00:34:04,766 The water is then pushed with tremendous force 596 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:06,900 through sophisticated membranes 597 00:34:06,933 --> 00:34:09,900 that allow smaller water molecules to get through, 598 00:34:09,933 --> 00:34:13,933 but not larger molecules, like salt. 599 00:34:13,966 --> 00:34:17,533 Finally, fresh water makes its way 600 00:34:17,566 --> 00:34:20,233 into the National Carrier system, 601 00:34:20,266 --> 00:34:23,533 and the salty leftovers-- the brine-- 602 00:34:23,566 --> 00:34:27,333 is returned to the sea. 603 00:34:27,366 --> 00:34:30,366 Desalination used to require a lot of heat, 604 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:34,000 and was energy-intensive and costly. 605 00:34:34,033 --> 00:34:35,866 But with new technologies 606 00:34:35,900 --> 00:34:38,966 and advances in membrane design, 607 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:44,166 the price of water has been cut in half. 608 00:34:44,199 --> 00:34:47,033 Israel has also developed innovative technologies 609 00:34:47,066 --> 00:34:49,199 in drip irrigation 610 00:34:49,233 --> 00:34:52,566 and water recycling. 611 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:55,466 RUBINSTEIN: We have very good technology. 612 00:34:55,500 --> 00:34:57,000 We can create water. 613 00:34:58,333 --> 00:35:02,100 NARRATOR: This gives Israel a unique technological edge 614 00:35:02,133 --> 00:35:05,400 and a powerful hand on the tap. 615 00:35:05,433 --> 00:35:08,466 At times, it used this power 616 00:35:08,500 --> 00:35:11,733 to limit the flow of water to Palestinians, 617 00:35:11,766 --> 00:35:16,400 which has heightened tensions in this water-scarce region. 618 00:35:16,433 --> 00:35:21,200 But can water be used in a different way? 619 00:35:21,233 --> 00:35:24,500 If we should be wise enough 620 00:35:24,533 --> 00:35:29,266 to use this technology in the right direction, 621 00:35:29,300 --> 00:35:31,366 it will create an incentive in our neighbors 622 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:33,966 to make peace with us. 623 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:35,533 That's my hope, that's my dream. 624 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:39,766 NARRATOR: But even if desalination 625 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:41,900 provides enough water for the region, 626 00:35:41,933 --> 00:35:45,966 transporting water to where it's needed most 627 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:48,233 presents a major challenge. 628 00:35:49,500 --> 00:35:51,033 As part of the plan, 629 00:35:51,066 --> 00:35:54,766 the leftover brine from the new desalination plant in Jordan 630 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:57,500 will be pumped through a pipeline 631 00:35:57,533 --> 00:36:01,333 to the Dead Sea. 632 00:36:01,366 --> 00:36:04,266 The pipeline will be built near an aquifer, 633 00:36:04,300 --> 00:36:07,566 an underground reservoir of fresh water, 634 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:11,033 used by local farmers in Israel. 635 00:36:11,066 --> 00:36:14,866 And this presents a problem. 636 00:36:14,900 --> 00:36:20,066 The water is seawater, or brine, which is very, very salty, 637 00:36:20,100 --> 00:36:24,933 and if there is something like earthquake, 638 00:36:24,966 --> 00:36:28,033 then the aquifer will be ruined. 639 00:36:30,100 --> 00:36:34,400 MARCO: We have records of earthquakes in this area, 640 00:36:34,433 --> 00:36:36,266 and in particular, 641 00:36:36,300 --> 00:36:39,500 earthquakes around and in the Dead Sea basin. 642 00:36:39,533 --> 00:36:41,033 Throughout history. 643 00:36:41,066 --> 00:36:43,566 Even the Bible describes earthquakes. 644 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:47,100 (fire rumbling) 645 00:36:47,133 --> 00:36:50,400 TAYLOR: You have the story of Jericho, 646 00:36:50,433 --> 00:36:52,566 where Joshua's armies came through 647 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:53,933 and the trumpet sounded. 648 00:36:53,966 --> 00:36:56,700 (trumpet blares) 649 00:36:56,733 --> 00:36:58,766 And the walls of Jericho fell down. 650 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:00,833 (horses neighing, rocks crumbling) 651 00:37:00,866 --> 00:37:02,466 There's been a huge debate 652 00:37:02,500 --> 00:37:05,266 whether there were in fact walls of Jericho 653 00:37:05,300 --> 00:37:07,566 that did come tumbling down at some point 654 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:08,833 due to an earthquake. 655 00:37:11,300 --> 00:37:16,866 NARRATOR: How often do major earthquakes occur in this region? 656 00:37:16,900 --> 00:37:20,000 The history is well-documented, 657 00:37:20,033 --> 00:37:23,900 etched in the cliffs that surround the Dead Sea. 658 00:37:23,933 --> 00:37:25,633 During the last ice age, 659 00:37:25,666 --> 00:37:29,233 which ended around 12,000 years ago, 660 00:37:29,266 --> 00:37:32,400 this whole area was covered with water. 661 00:37:32,433 --> 00:37:33,600 MARCO: So we are at the bottom of a lake, 662 00:37:33,633 --> 00:37:37,000 and what we see on the cliffs 663 00:37:37,033 --> 00:37:40,566 are the sediments, the deposits, that accumulated 664 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:41,766 at the bottom of the lake. 665 00:37:45,533 --> 00:37:46,533 What you can see here 666 00:37:46,566 --> 00:37:50,233 is that the rock is composed of two types 667 00:37:50,266 --> 00:37:52,600 of materials. 668 00:37:52,633 --> 00:37:57,266 There's a dark layer and a white layer. 669 00:37:57,300 --> 00:37:59,066 NARRATOR: The darker material is made 670 00:37:59,100 --> 00:38:03,600 from tiny rocks that settled on the bottom of the lake. 671 00:38:03,633 --> 00:38:07,633 It was deposited at the bottom of the lake during floods. 672 00:38:07,666 --> 00:38:09,666 Usually the floods here are in the winter, 673 00:38:09,700 --> 00:38:11,133 so this is a winter deposit. 674 00:38:12,633 --> 00:38:16,166 Now, the white material right here 675 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:17,766 is considered a summer deposit. 676 00:38:19,133 --> 00:38:22,800 NARRATOR: The summer deposit is made of calcium carbonate, 677 00:38:22,833 --> 00:38:26,166 a white compound found in seashells. 678 00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:27,966 MARCO: And everything stays like this 679 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,966 until something shakes it. 680 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:33,800 And right about here, 681 00:38:33,833 --> 00:38:39,200 we see the same material, but here it's chaotic. 682 00:38:39,233 --> 00:38:41,600 NARRATOR: The signs of an earthquake. 683 00:38:41,633 --> 00:38:44,900 MARCO: So we have, like, a tape recorder 684 00:38:44,933 --> 00:38:48,700 that recorded earthquakes during 50,000 years. 685 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:53,133 NARRATOR: But the region's earthquake record 686 00:38:53,166 --> 00:38:55,033 is even longer-- 687 00:38:55,066 --> 00:38:59,133 a record provided by the sea itself. 688 00:39:00,900 --> 00:39:03,766 An international group of scientists 689 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:07,700 drilled 1,500 feet beneath the sea floor... 690 00:39:07,733 --> 00:39:09,000 MARCO: We drilled a hole 691 00:39:09,033 --> 00:39:11,566 about this big. 692 00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:15,033 NARRATOR: ...pulling up cores of ancient sediment 693 00:39:15,066 --> 00:39:18,333 that document environmental changes in the region 694 00:39:18,366 --> 00:39:19,733 over time, 695 00:39:19,766 --> 00:39:23,233 from climate to earthquakes. 696 00:39:23,266 --> 00:39:28,133 MARCO: We reached layers that are dated at 220,000 years, 697 00:39:28,166 --> 00:39:29,466 so all together, 698 00:39:29,500 --> 00:39:34,066 we have a 220,000 years' record of earthquakes. 699 00:39:34,100 --> 00:39:36,266 NARRATOR: And within that record 700 00:39:36,300 --> 00:39:39,933 is evidence of several major earthquakes. 701 00:39:39,966 --> 00:39:42,100 And we know that a couple have occurred 702 00:39:42,133 --> 00:39:44,300 in relatively modern times. 703 00:39:44,333 --> 00:39:49,933 In 1837, the Galilee earthquake shook the region. 704 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:57,366 In 1927, an earthquake felt from Jerusalem to Jericho 705 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:00,666 resulted in hundreds of deaths. 706 00:40:00,700 --> 00:40:02,866 We haven't had a serious, serious earthquake, actually, 707 00:40:02,900 --> 00:40:04,766 in the Dead Sea for a while, 708 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:06,266 and it's sort of due. 709 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,033 NARRATOR: Geologist Shmuel Marco 710 00:40:10,066 --> 00:40:13,966 is concerned whether the Red Sea-Dead Sea pipeline 711 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:15,900 would survive it. 712 00:40:15,933 --> 00:40:19,300 MARCO: In my opinion, it's very problematic. 713 00:40:19,333 --> 00:40:21,500 It's a large interference with nature, 714 00:40:21,533 --> 00:40:26,233 along an active geological fault with many earthquakes. 715 00:40:28,166 --> 00:40:30,200 ATTILI: Few days ago, there was 716 00:40:30,233 --> 00:40:34,400 100 earthquake registered in one day. 717 00:40:34,433 --> 00:40:35,633 So, there is a risk. 718 00:40:35,666 --> 00:40:38,866 There is a risk of earthquake in this region. 719 00:40:40,933 --> 00:40:42,400 AMATZIA GENIN: So, we are always worried 720 00:40:42,433 --> 00:40:47,500 about what I term megalomanic programs, 721 00:40:47,533 --> 00:40:49,100 "Let's do and change nature." 722 00:40:50,666 --> 00:40:53,100 NARRATOR: The nature marine biologist Amatzia Genin 723 00:40:53,133 --> 00:40:55,200 is striving to protect 724 00:40:55,233 --> 00:41:02,200 is another extraordinary sea: the Red Sea. 725 00:41:02,233 --> 00:41:04,400 1,400 miles long, 726 00:41:04,433 --> 00:41:08,000 a sea so massive, it's twice as large 727 00:41:08,033 --> 00:41:11,866 as all the Great Lakes combined. 728 00:41:11,900 --> 00:41:16,633 Its northeast end is called the Gulf of Aqaba, 729 00:41:16,666 --> 00:41:17,966 and it's home 730 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:21,600 to some of the most pristine coral reefs on the planet, 731 00:41:21,633 --> 00:41:26,400 rich in color and life. 732 00:41:26,433 --> 00:41:29,600 GENIN: We are here near the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, 733 00:41:29,633 --> 00:41:31,700 which is part of the Red Sea. 734 00:41:31,733 --> 00:41:33,966 It's a special ocean. 735 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:35,300 This is the only place, 736 00:41:35,333 --> 00:41:37,300 the only piece of ocean on Earth, 737 00:41:37,333 --> 00:41:39,333 where bleaching has not occurred. 738 00:41:40,466 --> 00:41:41,666 NARRATOR: Corals worldwide 739 00:41:41,700 --> 00:41:44,300 are undergoing a troubling transformation. 740 00:41:44,333 --> 00:41:48,700 As the oceans warm due to climate change, 741 00:41:48,733 --> 00:41:52,000 corals are losing their vibrant color 742 00:41:52,033 --> 00:41:54,866 as they lose something vital for their survival-- 743 00:41:54,900 --> 00:41:57,000 algae, 744 00:41:57,033 --> 00:42:01,100 which provides corals with essential nutrients. 745 00:42:01,133 --> 00:42:02,400 They lose the algae, 746 00:42:02,433 --> 00:42:04,133 they become white, 747 00:42:04,166 --> 00:42:06,266 and if they don't reacquire the algae, 748 00:42:06,300 --> 00:42:10,133 they die. 749 00:42:10,166 --> 00:42:11,766 And about half of the corals in Australia, 750 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:14,166 in the Great Barrier Reef, 751 00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:18,066 about half is gone now because of massive bleaching. 752 00:42:18,100 --> 00:42:21,000 It's a major risk to the coral reef, 753 00:42:21,033 --> 00:42:26,166 and it occurs all over the globe, 754 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:28,466 except one place on Earth: the Gulf of Aqaba. 755 00:42:28,500 --> 00:42:33,000 NARRATOR: The biological underpinning that makes these reefs so robust 756 00:42:33,033 --> 00:42:35,133 is still unknown. 757 00:42:35,166 --> 00:42:36,766 But scientists think 758 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:40,500 these corals originated farther south, 759 00:42:40,533 --> 00:42:44,833 and migrated here already accustomed to warmer waters. 760 00:42:44,866 --> 00:42:48,600 GENIN: So we predict that the corals in the Gulf of Aqaba 761 00:42:48,633 --> 00:42:52,800 will have perhaps 100 years more 762 00:42:52,833 --> 00:42:55,500 than any other place on Earth 763 00:42:55,533 --> 00:43:00,000 before bleaching starts to hit these corals. 764 00:43:00,033 --> 00:43:01,800 NARRATOR: Another hundred years 765 00:43:01,833 --> 00:43:03,333 before the temperature of the sea 766 00:43:03,366 --> 00:43:06,500 becomes intolerable. 767 00:43:06,533 --> 00:43:10,300 But this resilient reef could still be at risk 768 00:43:10,333 --> 00:43:12,766 from the new desalination plant 769 00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:16,133 that will be built in Aqaba, Jordan. 770 00:43:16,166 --> 00:43:19,566 There's a concern that when water is pumped out of the sea 771 00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:22,000 and into the desalination plant, 772 00:43:22,033 --> 00:43:24,933 it would take the tiniest forms of life 773 00:43:24,966 --> 00:43:27,766 with it. 774 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:30,900 GENIN: So, we brought a simple plankton net 775 00:43:30,933 --> 00:43:32,533 that filters the water. 776 00:43:32,566 --> 00:43:34,400 We'll tow it from the boat. 777 00:43:34,433 --> 00:43:38,233 Hopefully we'll get some larvae inside the net. 778 00:43:40,366 --> 00:43:42,266 NARRATOR: In just a few minutes, 779 00:43:42,300 --> 00:43:45,833 Amatzia and researcher Irina Kolesnikov 780 00:43:45,866 --> 00:43:47,800 pull the net from the water 781 00:43:47,833 --> 00:43:52,333 and find that it's teeming with life. 782 00:43:53,733 --> 00:43:56,633 We have here some coral larvae. 783 00:43:56,666 --> 00:43:58,866 NARRATOR: Larvae, 784 00:43:58,900 --> 00:44:01,500 developing snails, 785 00:44:01,533 --> 00:44:03,000 mussels, 786 00:44:03,033 --> 00:44:04,433 crustaceans, 787 00:44:04,466 --> 00:44:05,466 fish, 788 00:44:05,500 --> 00:44:08,400 and budding coral. 789 00:44:08,433 --> 00:44:11,300 All could be put at risk through desalination. 790 00:44:11,333 --> 00:44:13,833 Where the plant will be located 791 00:44:13,866 --> 00:44:16,266 on the Jordanian side of the gulf 792 00:44:16,300 --> 00:44:20,433 is the site of a large concentration of larvae. 793 00:44:20,466 --> 00:44:21,533 GENIN: The coral reefs here 794 00:44:21,566 --> 00:44:24,933 depend on larvae arriving from Jordan. 795 00:44:26,433 --> 00:44:29,400 NARRATOR: And when the desalination plant is built there, 796 00:44:29,433 --> 00:44:33,000 the damage could be irreparable. 797 00:44:33,033 --> 00:44:34,933 GENIN: Lots and lots of larvae will be pumped, 798 00:44:34,966 --> 00:44:38,566 and then delivered to the Dead Sea, 799 00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:40,166 where they will... die. 800 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:42,500 (talking softly) 801 00:44:42,533 --> 00:44:44,866 GENIN: We are worried that that will have an effect 802 00:44:44,900 --> 00:44:48,133 on the well-being, on the renewal of the coral reef. 803 00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:54,533 NARRATOR: So a team of Israeli and Jordanian scientists 804 00:44:54,566 --> 00:44:59,066 sets out to find a way to minimize the damage. 805 00:44:59,100 --> 00:45:01,033 And they make a discovery. 806 00:45:01,066 --> 00:45:03,733 GENIN: The larvae of the coral reef animals 807 00:45:03,766 --> 00:45:05,300 are much less abundant, 808 00:45:05,333 --> 00:45:07,566 through an order of magnitude less abundant 809 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:09,533 below where you have sufficient light 810 00:45:09,566 --> 00:45:11,966 for photosynthesis. 811 00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:14,866 We call that the photic layer. 812 00:45:16,300 --> 00:45:18,633 NARRATOR: Pumping below the photic layer, 813 00:45:18,666 --> 00:45:21,533 about 400 feet below the surface, 814 00:45:21,566 --> 00:45:25,700 puts far less life forms at risk. 815 00:45:25,733 --> 00:45:26,966 GENIN: Problem is 816 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:29,000 that it's very costly. 817 00:45:29,033 --> 00:45:31,433 You need deep-sea divers. 818 00:45:31,466 --> 00:45:34,433 Everything is so much more complex than doing it 819 00:45:34,466 --> 00:45:36,133 at shallower depth. 820 00:45:36,166 --> 00:45:39,900 We say, "You guys are going now to do a project, 821 00:45:39,933 --> 00:45:41,666 "take the water from the Red Sea, 822 00:45:41,700 --> 00:45:43,700 "deliver the water to the Dead Sea. 823 00:45:43,733 --> 00:45:45,600 "This will cost," I don't know, 824 00:45:45,633 --> 00:45:47,833 "hundreds of millions of dollars. 825 00:45:47,866 --> 00:45:51,066 "So invest $2 million more 826 00:45:51,100 --> 00:45:53,833 to build a system that will conserve nature here." 827 00:45:55,533 --> 00:46:00,333 "Invest now and gain big time in the future." 828 00:46:00,366 --> 00:46:02,733 We are all fully aware 829 00:46:02,766 --> 00:46:05,733 of the severe shortage of water in Jordan. 830 00:46:05,766 --> 00:46:07,266 They need water, no doubt. 831 00:46:07,300 --> 00:46:11,800 So we, we really went very willingly 832 00:46:11,833 --> 00:46:13,766 to try and see how we can 833 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:17,733 mitigate the potential hazard to the coral reef, 834 00:46:17,766 --> 00:46:19,033 and indeed we found it. 835 00:46:21,600 --> 00:46:24,933 NARRATOR: From the Red Sea coral reefs 836 00:46:24,966 --> 00:46:28,400 to a vulnerable pipeline, 837 00:46:28,433 --> 00:46:31,066 to the impact Red Sea water could have 838 00:46:31,100 --> 00:46:35,033 on the unique chemistry of the Dead Sea, 839 00:46:35,066 --> 00:46:38,700 there are many challenges and many unknowns 840 00:46:38,733 --> 00:46:42,800 for the Red Sea-Dead Sea Project. 841 00:46:42,833 --> 00:46:46,500 Could there be a better solution? 842 00:46:46,533 --> 00:46:49,566 Why not simply undo the damage? 843 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:53,200 Restore the flow of water to the Jordan River 844 00:46:53,233 --> 00:46:55,133 and to the Dead Sea? 845 00:46:57,100 --> 00:47:01,133 The problem is, as the climate warms, 846 00:47:01,166 --> 00:47:07,366 the Sea of Galilee no longer has water to spare. 847 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:09,166 Since 2013, 848 00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:14,733 the Sea of Galilee has receded 11 and a half feet, 849 00:47:14,766 --> 00:47:16,166 losing more 850 00:47:16,200 --> 00:47:20,333 than a hundred billion gallons of water. 851 00:47:20,366 --> 00:47:22,433 MARKEL: We are facing terrible climate change. 852 00:47:22,466 --> 00:47:27,833 Unbelievable-- five years of drought 853 00:47:27,866 --> 00:47:32,433 and less and less rain. 854 00:47:32,466 --> 00:47:35,366 By the end of 2018, 855 00:47:35,400 --> 00:47:37,833 the water level of the Sea of Galilee 856 00:47:37,866 --> 00:47:41,766 will be close to what we call the black line-- 857 00:47:41,800 --> 00:47:44,866 the lowest level ever. 858 00:47:44,900 --> 00:47:47,666 NARRATOR: And it would take an enormous amount of water 859 00:47:47,700 --> 00:47:49,633 from the Sea of Galilee 860 00:47:49,666 --> 00:47:51,733 to stabilize the Dead Sea. 861 00:47:53,033 --> 00:47:57,400 More water than Israel desalinates every year-- 862 00:47:57,433 --> 00:48:01,500 as much water as it uses for its entire population. 863 00:48:01,533 --> 00:48:06,600 And desalinating more water presents problems, as well. 864 00:48:06,633 --> 00:48:07,933 GAVRIELI: This is already an issue 865 00:48:07,966 --> 00:48:10,300 that is being discussed in Israel: 866 00:48:10,333 --> 00:48:11,700 what is the impact of the desal? 867 00:48:11,733 --> 00:48:15,066 This, of course, has its price, an environmental price, too; 868 00:48:15,100 --> 00:48:17,433 you increase the volume of reject brine 869 00:48:17,466 --> 00:48:20,033 to the Mediterranean. 870 00:48:20,066 --> 00:48:21,233 There are studies now underway. 871 00:48:21,266 --> 00:48:23,900 How much can you desal before you see the effect? 872 00:48:25,066 --> 00:48:26,866 NARRATOR: So where does the ten-billion-dollar 873 00:48:26,900 --> 00:48:29,966 Red Sea-Dead Sea Project stand? 874 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:34,200 After years of planning and scientific study, 875 00:48:34,233 --> 00:48:37,366 money still needs to be raised. 876 00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:41,966 But using water as a way to lessen tensions 877 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:43,500 in this conflict-prone region 878 00:48:43,533 --> 00:48:47,633 is an opportunity that may be too good to pass up. 879 00:48:49,000 --> 00:48:53,066 But will the Dead Sea be even further damaged 880 00:48:53,100 --> 00:48:55,733 by this geopolitical bargain? 881 00:48:55,766 --> 00:49:00,866 The scientists are worried about the impact of the project. 882 00:49:00,900 --> 00:49:05,000 Some believe that instead of trying to "save" the Dead Sea, 883 00:49:05,033 --> 00:49:06,533 we should study it, 884 00:49:06,566 --> 00:49:10,800 to gain a deeper understanding of how nature responds 885 00:49:10,833 --> 00:49:13,700 to the damage we've already caused 886 00:49:13,733 --> 00:49:15,800 in just the last half-century. 887 00:49:17,766 --> 00:49:19,833 GAVRIELI: This is a natural laboratory. 888 00:49:19,866 --> 00:49:23,366 We are witnessing geological processes 889 00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:25,333 that usually happen over periods 890 00:49:25,366 --> 00:49:29,266 of thousands of years, even longer. 891 00:49:29,300 --> 00:49:32,666 And here, what we see, we are observing these processes 892 00:49:32,700 --> 00:49:33,766 on a very short time period, 893 00:49:33,800 --> 00:49:38,266 possibly even at an unprecedented rate, 894 00:49:38,300 --> 00:49:41,533 which allows us also to study them. 895 00:49:41,566 --> 00:49:45,600 I think this is something that is very unique. 896 00:49:45,633 --> 00:49:49,966 In my opinion, nature does not need to be saved 897 00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:52,966 if we treat it with respect. 898 00:49:56,433 --> 00:49:57,866 I would make the whole Dead Sea basin 899 00:49:57,900 --> 00:50:00,833 a geological park. 900 00:50:02,766 --> 00:50:07,333 Because we see things here that we don't see anywhere else. 901 00:50:09,333 --> 00:50:10,866 Some people can see it as damage. 902 00:50:10,900 --> 00:50:14,700 I see it as an interesting geological phenomenon 903 00:50:14,733 --> 00:50:17,633 which is spectacular. 904 00:50:17,666 --> 00:50:19,966 This is a particularly big one. 905 00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:25,233 ♪ 906 00:50:25,266 --> 00:50:26,400 ATTILI: There is a risk. 907 00:50:26,433 --> 00:50:28,233 If we do the project, there is a risk. 908 00:50:28,266 --> 00:50:29,966 If we don't do the project, there is a risk. 909 00:50:30,000 --> 00:50:34,300 I wish that this project sees the light, 910 00:50:34,333 --> 00:50:38,200 but we have to address thing correctly. 911 00:50:38,233 --> 00:50:41,600 We have to address things wisely. 912 00:50:41,633 --> 00:50:42,566 We have to address 913 00:50:42,600 --> 00:50:44,900 the consequences of climate change. 914 00:50:44,933 --> 00:50:46,800 We have to address also the consequences 915 00:50:46,833 --> 00:50:49,466 of human intervention. 916 00:50:50,966 --> 00:50:52,633 NARRATOR: In Jordan, 917 00:50:52,666 --> 00:50:57,166 the water shortage is getting worse. 918 00:50:57,200 --> 00:50:59,100 EL NASER: Jordan cannot wait. 919 00:50:59,133 --> 00:51:00,733 We don't have time. 920 00:51:00,766 --> 00:51:02,433 Our water resources are drying up. 921 00:51:02,466 --> 00:51:04,600 Our demand is increasing. 922 00:51:04,633 --> 00:51:05,833 We need water. 923 00:51:05,866 --> 00:51:08,900 NARRATOR: And for the Palestinian Authority, 924 00:51:08,933 --> 00:51:12,300 there is also a desperate need for water. 925 00:51:12,333 --> 00:51:16,066 No one can deny the importance of water. 926 00:51:17,400 --> 00:51:19,166 NARRATOR: As for the Dead Sea, 927 00:51:19,200 --> 00:51:25,166 its level continues to decline, with no end in sight. 928 00:51:25,200 --> 00:51:26,866 HADAS: In Yiddish, they used to say: 929 00:51:26,900 --> 00:51:29,366 "Mann Tracht, un Gott Lacht." 930 00:51:29,400 --> 00:51:31,866 That is to say 931 00:51:31,900 --> 00:51:35,500 that "Man is working, and God laughing." 932 00:51:37,866 --> 00:51:39,900 SHALOM: I don't think that the Dead Sea 933 00:51:39,933 --> 00:51:44,900 is really upset that it descends or something, 934 00:51:44,933 --> 00:51:49,833 but it's also, it's only for us. 935 00:51:49,866 --> 00:51:51,800 I don't want to tell my children, 936 00:51:51,833 --> 00:51:54,666 "There used to be a sea here, and it was really nice, 937 00:51:54,700 --> 00:51:57,100 we could float in it, and..." 938 00:51:57,133 --> 00:52:01,566 I want them to be in it and to feel it and to see it. 939 00:52:04,366 --> 00:52:05,700 It's a treasure. 940 00:52:06,633 --> 00:52:09,833 ♪ 941 00:52:16,800 --> 00:52:19,133 Major funding for "NOVA" is provided by the following: 942 00:52:47,033 --> 00:52:49,533 To order this "NOVA" program on DVD, 943 00:52:49,566 --> 00:52:54,500 visit ShopPBS or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS. 944 00:52:54,533 --> 00:52:59,266 This program is also available on Amazon Prime 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