The Dead Sea, a unique salt lake which is the lowest point on the surface of the planet, is shrinking at an alarming rate - about 3.3 feet per year, according to the environmentalist group EcoPeace Middle East.

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Who is to blame? Moritz Küstner, a photographer based in Germany who visited the area in February to work on his series "The Dying Dead Sea," said that it is not just only one country that is to blame; it is more like the whole region, according to CNN.

The Dead Sea, nestled by Israel, Jordan and the West Bank, is the world's saltiest water body. The Dead Sea suffers from a lack of wildlife, but the region around it is blessed with unique flora and fauna which includes many endangered species like ibex, leopards, and hyrax. Wetlands surrounding the Sea support several species like the indigenous "Dead Sea Sparrow." They serve as crucial resting and breeding grounds for millions of migratory birds crossing between Europe and Africa each year. Besides, the Dead Sea is also rich in a wide variety of minerals that are known for their therapeutic qualities.

For survival, The Dead Sea needs water from the other natural sources surrounding it, such as the Jordan River basin. But around the 1960s, some of these water sources were diverted and minerals extracted. Israel, for instance, built a pipeline during that time so it could supply water throughout the country. The Dead Sea's minerals have been hailed for their therapeutic properties. They can now be found in cosmetics and other consumer products. There is the Middle East's hot and dry climate which makes the replenishment of the lake difficult.

Last year, a crucial $900 million deal was signed between Israel and Jordan to stabilize the Dead Sea's water levels. It involves building a canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea so that both countries can pump much-needed water into the Dead Sea besides supplying water to Israel and Jordan

"This is the most important and significant agreement since the peace treaty with Jordan (in 1994)," said Silvan Shalom, Israel's energy and water resources minister after the agreement was signed.