ISRAEL: Palestinians, Israelis, and Jordanians, cycle around the Dead Sea in a bid to raise awareness of environmental damage in the area

Record ID: 349292

  • Title: ISRAEL: Palestinians, Israelis, and Jordanians, cycle around the Dead Sea in a bid to raise awareness of environmental damage in the area
  • Date: 28th January 2007
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) CYCLIST FROM CALIFORNIA MONICA SAYING: "Well it is always nice to be part of group that has a purpose and is trying to accomplish something and I think if people manage to raise awareness about the Dead Sea dying that's good. And mostly it just felt nice to do a great bike ride." VARIOUS OF RIDERS RIDING NEAR DEAD SEA AND ARRIVING TO TO THE FINISHING
  • Embargoed: 12th February 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Environment / Natural World,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVABDEVIRNZ6MV4G9TPQAXD1LS8S
  • Story Text: As the Dead Sea loses a metre of its water level each year, environmentalists have held an international bike rally to raise awareness of the problems faced by the area. The Dead Sea has been shrinking because of increased use of water upstream from the Jordan River, the Dead Sea's main source.

    Cyclists from around the world descended on the dead sea on Saturday (January 27) to take part in a bike tour of the area and to raise awareness of the decline of the sea's water level.
    The Dead Sea is facing disaster as it is losing a metre of its water level annually and could vanish within fifty years, say scientists.
    "Our main purpose is to increase the awareness of the regression of the dead sea. It is a big problem for our concern. And why just on bikes? Because biking, it's a sport, it is a green sport," said Uriel Aharnov, who organised Saturday's rally.
    The Dead Sea, 417 m below sea level, is the lowest point on the surface of the earth. It is at the terminus of the Jordan River, has no outlet and is very rich in minerals. Almost nothing can survive in its water except highly specialised green algae and red archaeobacteria.
    "The major point of this journey is saving the Dead Sea and [stopping] what is happening to the Dead Sea. We are trying to do something that will do a push up to [people to] recognise what is happening to the dead sea," said Israeli cyclist, Nimrod Hanegbi.
    The Dead Sea lies between Jordan and Israel and the bike rally on Saturday featured both Israeli and Jordanian riders.
    "We came here to the Dead Sea to increase the awareness between the two nations [Israel and Jordan] to help save the treasures, the treasures of the Dead sea," said Jordanian rider Mohammed Majdlawi, who is taking part in the race with eight other Jordanian youths from the Jordanian Office for Peace and Development.
    Jordan, the Palestinians and Israel agreed last December to proceed with a feasibility study of a $2-4 billion project to top up the Dead Sea with water from the Red Sea.
    Officials said the tripartite meeting, attended by World Bank officials, agreed to tender out soon the World Bank-sponsored feasibility study of the project to reverse a 25 metre (82 feet) fall in the level of the Dead Sea in the past century.
    Officials said Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority were committed to the 180 km (110 mile) "Two Seas Canal" plan despite stalled peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
    The Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth's surface, has been shrinking because of increased use of water upstream from the Jordan River, the Dead Sea's main source.
    France, the United States, the Netherlands and Japan have so far signalled their willingness to contribute to the cost of the two-year study.
    Any link between the seas might include a hydro electric plant to capitalise on the drop of about 450 metres from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea.
    The study would also examine environmental impacts. The Dead Sea was too salty for all but a few salt-loving micro-organisms. It is unclear whether the sea would be affected by less salty Red Sea water.
    "Well it is always nice to be part of group that has a purpose and is trying to accomplish something and I think if people manage to raise awareness about the dead sea dying that's good. And mostly it just felt nice to do a great bike ride," said Monica, a cyclist from California.
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