River Jordan nearly running dry

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.