JORDAN IS DOWN
TO A TRICKLE
GREATER ISRAEL What would Jesus do about the Jordan River? The major source of water in land of the Bible, the fabled river is dying a slow death due to rampand pollution and unregulated diversion. An integral part of the river's ecosystem, the Dead Sea is also dying, (although one questions whether the Dead Sea can actually die).
Jordan, Israel and Syria have all diverted upstream waters for domestic and agricultural uses. Since these political entities don't play nice together, everyone is taking as much water out of the river as possible. So far, neither Jahweh nor Allah have done much about it. Maybe Jesus could talk to Dad?
The condition of the Jordan is invisible to the world at large because much of the area is a closed military zone. Fences and mines keep the public away from the area near the river. The latest threat to the river’s water supply is a new Syrian dam on the Yarmuk River. When the dam becomes operational this year, the two major sources of the lower Jordan – the Yarmuk and the Sea of Galilee – will no longer provide any water to the river.
In addition to the region’s unique history of three-way religious conflict, the valley is at the crossroads of biodiversity, bringing together species from Africa, Asia and Europe.
