The Jordan River is:
- A prime example of a trans-boundary ecosystem, crossing Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.
- The lowest river in the world, flowing through some of the narrowest areas of the Great Rift Valley to the lowest point on earth - the Dead Sea.
- Home to numerous natural and cultural sites that have world value.
- Is important to the 3 monotheistic religions; as the Christian tradition holds the River to be the site of Jesus' baptism, as the area where Moses gazed down into the Promised Land and where several companions of the prophet Mohammed are buried.
But it is also a river with severe environmental problems:
- 90% of the river's historical flow has been diverted for agricultural and domestic purposes by Israel, Jordan and Syria.
- Untreated waste water and diverted saline spring water are being dumped into the Jordan, threatening to devastate its fragile ecosystems and destroy the huge potential it holds for tourism.
Friends of the Earth Middle East has embarked on a campaign to "Let the Jordan River Flow". Our project includes awareness activities as well as promotion of the river's registration as a UNESCO World Heritage site, thus securing a mechanism for rehabilitation and conservation that would bind all parties.
Please help us in our efforts - read the petition addressed to our leaders and sign in below to be included in the call to "Let the Jordan River Flow"!
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