Miles-long microalgae bloom cripples Israel's desalination plants
A miles-long microalgae bloom along Israel’s Mediterranean coast temporarily shut down five of the country’s six coastal desalination plants, threatening its main drinking-water source. Some plants have partially resumed with one operating at full capacity, while authorities diverted water from alternative sources (Sea of Galilee, groundwater, reserves). Scientists say the bloom—likely originating in the Nile Delta and driven by warming seas and turbidity—highlights how climate change can stress centralized water infrastructure that increasingly relies on desalination using reverse osmosis. The episode underscores water-security vulnerabilities and may foreshadow future similar events as the climate continues to change.