Arab Weather - One of the effects of climate change and global warming on surface and groundwater resources in the Levant is the sharp decline in the water level of Lake Tiberias , located between historic Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
Normally, the rainfall rate in the Sea of Galilee basin is
It amounts to (380) millimeters annually, but this year it did not fall to about 40% of the general annual average.
Usually, the lake rises about 1.60 meters after each rainy season, but this season 2024/2025 AD, the lake did not rise to only about (10) centimeters.
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The lake's surface level has dropped by about 50 cm below the "lower red line," and this continuous and increasing decline, which has been the operational line for decades, is affecting the hydrological and environmental systems in the Sea of Galilee basin.
Since the beginning of this summer, the water level in the lake's surface has dropped to 1.20 meters, and it is expected to reach two meters by the end of this year.
This has led to a 35% reduction in water allocated for irrigation and agriculture in the Sea of Galilee basin.
Proposed solutions include pumping desalinated water from the Mediterranean Sea into Lake Tiberias via Wadi Salama to move away from the "lower red line" and halt the rapid decline in the water level, with the goal of raising the lake's water level.
Maintaining natural water levels at the regular operating line.
The alarm bells were sounded when red spots were seen floating on the surface of the lake, due to the presence of natural algae in its waters. The algae secrete a red pigment as a result of the water shortage in the lake, the high temperatures, and the increased amounts of evaporation, which leads to biological and chemical hazards that affect the quality of the lake's water.
Source:
Several references and written and photographed research from the Internet.
Photos by Mr. Omar Al-Dajani.
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