From Ayman Asfour
In his article on megaprojects, Michael Marshall discusses flooding the Qattara depression in Egypt (3 January, p 34). This is an old idea that will lead to the creation of another Dead Sea.
Evaporation will gradually increase the salinity of the water until a supersaturated salt lake is created. The salt water will seep under the desert sand and contaminate the underground freshwater reservoirs that supply the nearby oases of Siwa and Qara. Finally, the salt water will cause the groundwater level to rise and flood the oases in the desert.
Please proceed with damming the Atlantic or the Mediterranean instead.
Toronto, Canada
