E The Dead Sea's rapid retreat is visible in this view. -2 WIN A FREE TRIP TO ISRAEL! Sea Savior? REGISTER FOR Red Sea-Dead Sea canal stirs environmental objections. Dina Kraft Jewish Telegraphic Agency Herzliya, Israel 0 n aerial photographs, the shrinking Dead Sea juts into the surrounding desert landscape like a blue index finger. As part of the effort to prevent this finger from becoming a mere smudge on the map by 2050, the World Bank is conducting a $14 million study into the practicalities of building a channel to bring water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, which is shrinking rapidly due to evaporation and upstream water diversion. Proponents say the plan could rescue the Dead Sea while supplying desalinated water and hydroelectric power to the region. "We will have to balance the techno- logical, environmental and economic issues at the heart of this complex study:' Peter Darley, the team leader of the feasibility part of the World Bank study, said at a public hearing last week in Herzliya. Similar public hearings were held earlier in the week in Amman, Jordan, and the West Bank city of Ramallah. The governments of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, all of which stand to benefit from such a project, had asked the World Bank to fund and oversee the study on the implications of building a 112-mile long conveyance system — either a canal or pipeline — to bring the water to the Dead Sea. The idea has come under intense fire from Israeli environmentalists and water experts, who argue that more time than the currently allotted year needs to be devoted to studying the possible scientific consequences of the project. They cite the potential envi- ronmental damage the project could cause, whether it be to the fragile coral reefs of the Red Sea or the unique Dead Sea ecosystem. They say alterna- tives must be studied in tandem by independent-minded international consultants, not representatives of the three governments involved, as is cur- rently proposed. "It's like asking a cat to guard a bowl of milk," said Gidon Bromberg, the Israel director of Friends of the Earth Middle East. At Issue Bromberg and other critics of the canal plan charge that the Israeli, Jordanian and P.A. governments are interested in the canal solution because the international community might foot the bill for it as a massive desalinization or peace project. Alex McPhail, the program manager at the World Bank who is oversee- ing the overall study, says the bank is being methodical and scientific. He noted that the World Bank's approach consists of three parts: a feasibility study, an environmental impact study and a report on alternative solutions. "It's an environmental question mark and that's why we are doing these studies:' McPhail said. "It's very important that we examine and understand all the potential environ- mental implications:' Proponents of the canal argue that the project could be a one-stop solution for replenishing the waters of the Dead Sea, generating energy, and providing drinking and agricul- tural water for Jordan, Israel and the Palestinians. The project also is being touted as a rare symbol of regional cooperation. The sea's retreat already has spawned thousands of dangerous sinkholes in the region. Created by Sea on page A24 Federation's Ian evvis • Detroit's Jewish Event Connection Go to http://detroit.planitjewish.com , or visit our booth at "A Fair To Remember" on August 21, and you will be automatically entered into a drawing for a FREE TRIP FOR 2 TO ISRAEL * including: • Round trip airfare on from Chicago to Tel Aviv • Hotel accomodations • Fully guided tour with transfers • Ground transportation • Some meals included Trip courtesy of: e 0 croimirminntra :711- ma lb: TOURS bmi SIM% ALLANst. UE.,041E4 .Cf• *Certain restrictions may apply Receive email reminders about events that match your interests. Sign up! Invite friends! Much, much more! 411 Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit August 7 • 2008 A23