Treks and Trails of Jordan: Friends of the Earth Middle East

The Royal Wings Magazine Writes About Terhaal

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:39:00 GMT

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This is the article which was published about Terhaal's co-founders in the Royal Wings magazine January-February 2007.

This edition of the Royal Wings magazine is distributed onboard all Royal Jordanian flights - the national carrier of Jordan.

Special thanks to Chief Editor Eddie Taylor for his support and nice words.

Terhaal Team

The Dead Sea's Revenge

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:33:00 GMT

Photos by FoEME

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By Friends of the Earth Middle East

Humans have been responsible for activities that have led to the drying up of the Dead Sea for over half a century, and the Sea has had enough. Some say the time has come for the Dead Sea to take its revenge against the people who have abused it, referring mostly to the holes that have been appearing in the ground surrounding the salt water body.

While this is only one of several phenomena associated with the constantly receding water level at the Dead Sea, it may be most significant in terms of its effect on continued human activity in the area. Few sinkholes were observed before 1980, but since then they have spread throughout the entire area, although far more noticeably in the south.

Sinkholes are holes appearing in the ground that can be as large as 25m in diameter and 20m in depth. They are created gradually through a mechanism of underground salt dissolution. The significant drop in the lake's water level is matched by a parallel groundwater level drop, which results in an increasing intensity of water flow. The diagonal interface between the salty water of the Dead Sea and the less saline groundwater is pushed downwards and eastwards. The imbalance of the hydrological system exposes the salt stratum to unsaturated groundwater i.e. the water dissolves the salt and spaces are created in this layer. The salt layers have a geo-technical capacity of creating and preserving spaces. Eventually the upper layer (the ceiling) of the hole collapses.

The authorities refer to the sinkholes as impending catastrophes; there is no way of predicting where and when a sinkhole might appear. In 2001 a large sinkhole emerged on the main road in Ein Gidi only seconds after a bus full of tourist drove by. It was 20m deep and its bottom diameter was 30m. That time they were lucky.

The Jordan Valley Authority has so far compensated the owners of 30 units of agricultural lands in the Safi region whose lands have collapsed due to sinkholes this year.

At this moment in time experts cannot point to any site along the Dead Sea shores and claim with any certainty that it is safe with no potential for the appearance of sinkholes on its surface.

Perhaps the danger and hindrance presented by the sinkholes phenomena could serve as a catalyst for the re–evaluation of policies in this region. The mere shrinkage of the Dead Sea has not stirred official bodies much, but perhaps this potential disaster and the lack of any planning and development activities will bring about more government initiative and policy making.

Three Bridges - Three Eras

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:51:00 GMT

Photos by FoEME

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By Tala Bassam Momani

My Grandmother told me how she had once visited my grandfather many years ago whilst he was serving in the British army in Samakh (a village south of Lake Tiberius - west of the Jordan River). She went by train, crossing the Jordan River, but for some reason she missed her stop and ended up in Jaffa. She could not go back to Samakh as there was no trip back, so she ended up returning in the next train back to Jordan. She told my grandfather that she had changed her mind about visiting; she was actually embarrassed to tell him that she had missed her stop!

Fifty years ago that was possible and something common - not missing your stop but crossing the river by train. The Jeser Al-Majame'a/Three Bridges site serves as a visual example of the Jordan Valley's historical crossing point and is of major cultural importance. The first bridge was Roman, built over 2000 years ago, and erected by Roman rulers to connect the cities of that period; Biesan (in Palestine), Pella and Um Quais (today in Jordan). In later periods the bridge was used by the crusaders to link the fortress of Belvoir in Palestine and Ajloun castle in Jordan; both castles overlook the Jordan Valley. An old Khan (inn) from the Middle Ages stands at the site and is where merchants and travelers would stop to rest and feed their animals whilst travelling between east and west. During the Ottoman Empire a railway bridge was built to serve a line connecting the Mediterranean port of Acre with Damascas. The Ottoman Turks also later built a custom's house and police station at the site. In the 1920s, the British Mandate authorities added a third bridge, for motor vehicles, linking the area with the city of Tiberias [located on the shores of the lake of its namesake] and Damascus in Syria.

By train, my grandmother once crossed the River Jordan, reached the Mediterranean and came back in the same day!