Jordan grapples with water crisis

November 28th, 2008

A sinkhole on the shores of the Dead Sea, which is retreating leaving massive sinkholes in its wake. Jordan is hoping to haul water from the Red Sea to replenish the Dead Sea via a multi-billion dollar scheme.

Gasping for water and fearful that climate change will amplify its problems, Jordan is pinning its hopes for liquid salvation on a scheme with no parallel: hauling water from the Red Sea to replenish the Dead Sea.

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• GrayMouser - Nov 28, 2008
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  A couple of questions:
  1) What's the rainfall records for that region for the last 10 million years?
  2) How long did previous droughts last?
  3) What is the population/agriculture densities compared to prior eras?
  
  I noticed that they are blaming this on AGW. That means they'll try to get the 1st world nations to pay for this...
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• Velanarris - Nov 28, 2008
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  It's really funny they attribute this to AGW seeing as all AGW models say that the middleeast will see increased rainfall.
  
  So which is it?
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• moebiex - Nov 28, 2008
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  I guess they've looked into siphoning the water? That would obviate any ongoing pumping requirements. An alternative might include PV powered electrolysis, producing hydrogen which is then passively piped up to the top of the intervening ridge and burnt in a generator, recapturing some of the energy and producing - yes- fresh desalinated water which could then be used to recapture more energy after being piped to the bottom of the hill on the landward side. I'm not sure of the specific efficiencies of scale of scale needed but it strikes me as an innovative option worth looking into.
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• Roach - Dec 03, 2008
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  Well of course developed countries should pay for it, where do you think they got their infrastructure? Didn't the world always just give free handouts to people? Like back when the sabretooth tiger used to bring fresh meat to the cavemen in order to supply them with food for the winter because the humans were too weak to care for themselves. That's how it worked right? Besides I'm sure that the US can afford to throw them some bail out money, they're giving it away for dumber easons than that already. I must be in an off mood today.
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