Blog Action Day this year chose WATER as the focus of attention for bloggers worldwide.
Here is my moshav (agricultural village) in the middle of the Jerusalem Hills.The hills and even the valley around us are blessed with many ancient springs.
About two-thirds up the mountain there is even a Shvil HaMa'ayanot, the Trail of Springs.
When I moved to this region (from the Tel Aviv area) and started exploring in 2006, the spring-fed pools were full and on hot days hikers would jump in and cool off..
But no more.By 2007 these ancient irrigation pools were dry.
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Israel is now in her 5th or 6th successive year of drought..
I have posted about the dangerously low level of the Sea of Galilee, which is a major source of drinking water, and about the rapidly shrinking Dead Sea.On World Water Day I showed how my neighbors built a channel to capture rainwater.
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But when you actually see how the aquifers, the springs, the pools right near home are drying up, it is shocking.
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People, peoples, built these agricultural terraces on the hillsides and devised the irrigation systems thousands and hundreds of years ago.
The Jewish farmers in Temple times even managed to feed the thousands of pilgrims who came up to Jerusalem for the three annual pilgrimage festivals.
These Jewish farmers of two thousand years ago, and in recent centuries the Arab farmers, and the ancient peoples who preceded all of these, they would be so sad to witness the current dire situation.
If only it would rain . . .
UPDATE: How to hike this area, plus an explanation of aquifer formation:
http://inandaroundjerusalem.com/the_judean_mountains_west_of_jerusalem_-_overview_and_summary_of_hikes/hiking_on_the_shvil_hamaayanot_and_visit_to_yad_kennedy
P.S. The water photo is for James' meme, Weekend Reflections.
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Oh Dina...if only we could find a way to send some of our noreaster over to you today...
ReplyDeletethank you for stopping by my blog...and for bringing the reality of the water crisis to light through your images and writing.
Shabbat Shalom
How sad to read this, the reality is shocking.
ReplyDeleteShabbat Shalom!
It has been known for some time that the next major war will not be about land or weapons, but water!
ReplyDeleteOf course we still have too much!
It really herts to read this.
ReplyDeleteSuch a precious thing water is. And yet, many of us often do not have enough awareness of this until it becomes so scarce. It's an excellent choice of theme that this year's Blog Action Day has chosen. Mine will probably up later.
ReplyDeletethank you from bringing attention to such important issue.
ReplyDeletegreetings from Uruguay
Dina, thank you for raising our awareness. We have work to do, as a world community, about this issue.
ReplyDeleteHow sad to see such wonderful natural springs dry due to drought. Thanks for the eye opener.
ReplyDeleteoh !
ReplyDeleteMe thirst - first thought that came into me mind. Guess the next struggle of humankind will indeed be about water and food.
Thank you for introducing as well this day, of which I had no idea before. Please have a good weekend.
daily athens
Shalom with
ReplyDeleteWarm Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
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Dina, the landscape of the first image is so beautiful. The sequence well describes the bad water situation: it's really worrying and sad.
ReplyDeleteWe have the opposite here. The lakes and basins are as full as they possibly can be, and, should it stop raining for the next 16 months, we would be fine. I'll send you some.
ReplyDeleteI remember Cyprus getting tankers full of water 2 or 3 years ago, from Greece.
I wish I'd known about this Blog Action Day. I've been aware that water is one of the BIG issues needing a BIG solution FAST for a long time. How very very sad your springs no more. We need a global rain dance.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this worring state concerning water in your country. I knew water were more valuable than gold or petrole in your area, but I had no idea it was coming to that...
ReplyDeleteThat is such a sad reflection, already gone... I hope that you'll get some rain this year...
I think Adullamite has a point here.
ReplyDeleteA very moving post.
ReplyDeleteThat is scary, Dina. Hawaii is also suffering from the drought. I think they said we've had the driest wet season for the past 30 years. We've been getting showers lately, but it's barely enough to wet the ground. Mostly, it's just enough to create rainbows and that's it.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post about a very important global topic. My daughter wrote her college entrance essay on water. It earned her a huge scholarship for global citizenship.
ReplyDeleteI love your shots of the springs.
My entry is here