Lakes are dried up! Israel refills a lake by pumping water from the Med!

The Sea of Galilee in northern Israel is a freshwater lake that has sustained life for millennia. The lake irrigates vineyards and local farms that grow everything from green vegetables to wheat and tangerines. Hot springs and hiking trails bring tourism and livelihoods to local communities. The climate crisis is causing huge fluctuations in the lake’s water levels.

Dried lakes!

Climate change and unsustainable water management are leaving the lakes dried up all over the Middle East. The Israeli government had a hopeful solution as they planned to pump water from the Mediterranean Sea, take salt out of it and send it across the country to top up the lake at the time of need. The Sea of Galilee had a dramatic change called the Kinneret in Hebrew that pumped all of Israel's drinkable water. The water will flow in the opposite direction.

Related: Lakes are drying up everywhere. Israel will pump water from the Med as a solution.

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Israel has had plenty of expertise in desalination for more than two decades, taking seawater from the Mediterranean and treating the process called reverse osmosis so that water is drinkable. Five desalination plants along the coast provide all the tap water for the country’s 9.2 million people. Plants tend to run on natural gas, a fossil fuel that contributes to the climate crisis where the extreme weather causes the lake's water levels to fluctuate in the first place.

Also Read: Iran arrests several for protesting drying up of lake once seen as Mideast’s largest 

New project!

The project looks like a 1.6-meter water pipe laid across 31 kilometers, but it's the first of its kind. It takes the desalinated water and pumps it through the Tsalmon stream that feeds the lake. It also helps with the development of agriculture in the wider region. Israel agreed with Jordan to sell tens of millions of cubic meters of water to the kingdom annually. Two countries signed a new agreement with Jordan in2021 receive 20% of Jordan’s water needs in return for solar energy to help power Israel’s electric grid.

Related: Lakes are drying up everywhere. Israel will pump water from the Med as a solution.

Emirati companies build 600 solar power plants in Jordan to generate energy. The new $264 million pipeline is expected to be functional and able to move 120 million square meters of water annually. The project has a uniqueness that gives sufficient flexibility.

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Worsening climatic crisis!

The most recent five-year drought that hit home differently ended in 2018. Water levels reached a record low due to a ban on pumping water from the lake. The worsening climate pushed Israel’s water authority to intervene low. They are looking for future climate change where the population increases and there is high water demand.

Mix desalinated water with natural water so the impact will bring things to the lake that may not exist naturally. The new water won't have a huge impact on existing species. It helps the lake combat the effects of climate change by causing a higher water turnover rate. It helps to prevent too much bacterial growth and also helps cool the water's temperature. The introduction of desalinated water is a risk also worth taking.