Swimmers Brave Dead Sea Waters to Highlight Environmental Crisis
Translated & summarized from Mignews by baba
Around 30 swimmers from Israel and abroad completed a five-kilometer swim in the Dead Sea on November 13th to protest its environmental decline. Organized by Dead Sea Guardians, the event highlighted the sea's 11-meter drop in water level over the past decade. Organizers urged authorities to implement urgent measures to save the unique water body, citing reduced river inflow and industrial use as primary causes.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- About 30 swimmers from Israel and abroad swam 5km in the Dead Sea on Nov 13.
- The swim aimed to raise awareness of the Dead Sea's environmental crisis and rapid water level decline.
- The Dead Sea's water level has dropped approximately 11 meters in the last ten years.
- Reduced inflow from the Jordan River and industrial mineral extraction are key causes.
- Organizers called for urgent government action and international cooperation to save the sea.
- The event was organized by the environmental group Dead Sea Guardians.
Approximately 30 swimmers from Israel and other countries participated in a five-kilometer swim in the Dead Sea on Friday, November 13th, to draw attention to its severe environmental degradation. The swimmers, who used full-face masks to protect themselves from the hypersaline water, swam from Metzoqei Dragot to Mitspe Shalem.
The event was organized by the environmental group Dead Sea Guardians, led by its founder Oded Rahav. The primary goal was to raise public and governmental awareness about the rapid decline in the Dead Sea's water level, which has dropped by about 11 meters in the last decade, losing over a meter annually.
Experts attribute the crisis largely to reduced water inflow from the Jordan River and its tributaries, with significant water diversion for drinking, agriculture, and industry. Mineral extraction companies using the Dead Sea's water in evaporation ponds also contribute to the problem.
Organizers emphasized that the shrinking water level not only reduces the sea's area but also causes dangerous sinkholes along the coast, threatening infrastructure and access. Rahav stated that if the seemingly impossible swim was achieved, then united efforts are needed to save the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea Guardians group engages in educational, research, and international initiatives to find long-term solutions.
The participants hope this unusual swim will spur urgent action from Israeli authorities and international cooperation to preserve the unique natural wonder for future generations.
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