The occupied West Bank city of Jericho, north of the Dead Sea, is the lowest-elevation city in the world. Temperatures in the oasis town in the Jordan Valley, flanked by the Jordanian highlands to the east and the Judean hills to the west, can exceed 40C (104F) in the summer months, making water a more precious resource than ever.
Until recently, it was unimaginable to hear the smack and rush of waves breaking in the middle of this desert. But last Saturday afternoon dozens of children ran in and out of the swell at a wave pool at Jericho’s Safari AquaPark, laughing at the power of the waves lifting them up.
