| GEO World| | River Jordan nearly running dry| | Updated at:
1029 PST, Monday, May 03, 2010| AMMAN: The River Jordan is in
danger of disappearing altogether under pressure from huge water
diversion programs, an environmental group has warned. More than
90% of the water is being diverted by Israel, Jordan and Syria,
Friends of the Earth Middle East say. The group have called on
the governments in the region to take immediate action to save
the river. The river is also heavily polluted and now contains
20% untreated sewage, the organisation says. The river is
already running dry in some areas and Friends of the Earth
estimate that it could dry out completely within two years. The
pollution in the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea, which itself is
under threat and has shrunk by 30% in the last 50 years.
Environmentalists want governments the United Nations to protect
the river - a holy site for Christians, Jews and Muslims - by
placing it on the UNESCO World Heritage list.