Environment

Jordan River's rushing waters have been reduced to trickle as population growth, climate change take a toll Israel and Jordan signed a declaration of intent on Thursday at the U.N. climate conference to conserve and protect their shared Jordan River — a sacred waterway nearly running dry because of climate change, pollution and other threats. The agreement, struck at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where world leaders are discussing how to mitigate the escalating impact from a changing climate, marks an important, albeit initial, step in cooperation. Water cooperation was a key element of the 1994 peace treaty between the two countries but chilly relations over the past decades have complicated efforts to increase water supply to the Jordan River. The plan announced Thursday is shor...