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Saving the Dead Sea 1x54

There’s no place on Earth like it: the Dead Sea. Its salt-encrusted shores were the backdrop of Old Testament drama and the source of Cleopatra’s beauty treatments. Even today, its striking teal waters and extreme chemistry capture the imagination. But the Dead Sea is dying. Since 1976, its level has dropped more than 100 feet. Its coastline is pockmarked with thousands of sinkholes. But after more than a decade of research and debate, scientists, engineers, and political leaders have come up with a daring plan: connect the Red Sea with the Dead Sea by way of a massive desalination plant. If it’s successful, the project could not only revive the sea but also help ease political tensions and water shortages in the region. NOVA follows this unprecedented endeavor—perhaps the world’s largest water chemistry experiment—as scientists and engineers race to save the Dead Sea and bring water to one of the driest regions on Earth.