Two recent landmark studies
by the environmental organization Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) have
forecast that the lower segment of the Jordan River could collapse as early as
next year due to global warming, extreme pollution and decades of human use that
have resulted in up to 98% diversion of the river’s volume.
These FoEME
studies are the first to show the shocking level of demise and the extent of
rehabilitation needed to restore the river.
Stating that river flow
since the 1930s has gone from 1.3 billion cubic meters per year to just 20
million annually today, FoEME researchers point out that the river south of the
Sea of Galilee has been reduced to a contaminated trickle.
Chairman and
Jordanian FoEME Director Munqeth Mehyar stated, “…We have lost at least 50%
percent of biodiversity in and around the river due to the near total diversion
of fresh water… Some 400 million cubic meters of water annually are urgently
needed to be returned to the river to bring it back to life.”
Recently,
the organization, which is also unique in bringing together Israeli, Palestinian
and Jordanian environmental advocates united in a common cause, proposed the
first solution ever to save the river.
They have identified both the
quantity of water needed annually as well as the ways that the recipient water
countries of Syria, Israel, Jordan and Palestine could cooperate to restore its
flow.
Director Mehyar and all scientists and advocates at Friends of the
Earth Middle East, we applaud your collaborative actions to inform of the
legendary Jordan River’s dire state for its ultimate restoration.
Through humanity’s wise and conscientious care, may this life-sustaining
source flourish harmoniously once more. Supreme Master Ching Hai has often
discussed ways to appreciate and preserve the precious resource of water, as in
this October 2009 videoconference in Formosa (Taiwan).
Supreme Master Ching Hai: We tell people to do
organic farming, how to conserve rainwater, ground water, and conserve land,
planting trees to attract rain, etc.
In the Alwar district of Rajasthan,
India, one Indian village was able to guide the water enough that it brought
back to life five flowing rivers – five flowing rivers – that had been dead
before, been dried up before due to withdrawing too much water.
We could
learn from them as well. But even these water losses pale in comparison to the
incredible amount of water that is wasted for animal production. It takes
approximately 4,664 liters of water to produce just one serving of beef, but an
entire vegan meal can be produced with only 371 liters of water.
The
livestock sector is probably the world's biggest source of water pollution as
well
Water means everything to our existence. We must conserve the
water; we must do everything we can. And the first step to begin is to be vegan.
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2010/05/20105510484475825.html
http://www.france24.com/en/20100502-jordan-river-could-die-2011-report
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