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Reviving the Dead Sea

August 14, 2012

Jordan’s Dead Sea is threatened by water scarcity, raising pressure to save the dwindling resource.

https://p.dw.com/p/15pHE
A Palestinian Man filling a bottle with water
Image: ddp images/AP Photo/Mohammad abu Ghosh

Project goal: Conserving water

Project type: Grey water recycling – that’s water originating from the shower and bath. It’s to be processed locally and reused in the service sector.

Project size: Saving 5,500 cubic meters of water a year at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel in Jordan

Project partners: German Society for International Cooperation (GiZ) and Hansgrohe SE

Jordan's tourism industry faces a major dilemma. The sector is booming but it’s placing a huge strain on dwindling water resources. Ground water levels in the Jordan River basin are dropping with more water removed than flows in. The problem isn’t confined to Jordan alone. Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, who all rely on Jordan for fresh water, are also affected. Now, Jordan has launched a pilot project to tackle the water crunch. A hotel is using a novel system to recycle grey water. It involves processing water originating from the shower or bath. The project could help save one-third of the country's precious drinking water supplies.

A film by Mabel Gundlach

Jordan tackles water scarcity