Israel
Michael Zaide, Planning Division - Water Commission ? Israel
Israel?s Water Sector ? Policy & Acts towards Sustainability
Israel has suffered a chronic water shortage for years. In recent years
however, the situation has developed into a crisis so severe that allocation
of water for urban use in the summer of the year 2002 almost didn?t meet
requirements in spite of the fact that there were 50% administrative cuts
in agricultural supply. During the crisis, we have reached & crossed all
operational lines in all national aquifers.
Although we've had two relatively good years of replenishment, the
current cumulative deficit in Israel?s renewable water resources amounts
to approximately 1000 million cubic meters, while the total potential
storage is estimated 3,000 million cubic meters, An amount that exceeds
the annual urban & industrial demand by 20% percent.
One crucial issue is the increasing contamination of the natural water
resources, mainly due to their over exploitation and high intensive surface
development.
The main reasons for the crisis are:
· Consecutive years of drought in the region.
· Increased demand by population growth & the rising standard of
living.
· A wrong policy of stretching the renewable water sources to the
limit.
All activities in water sector since this crisis are based on a new water
sector policy that incorporates a sustainable development plan which is
founded upon three basic components:
1. Ensuring water supply
2. Social economic requirements
3. Environmental and ecological needs.
The implementations of these principles in the water sector policy are:
All natural resources must be preserved and protected from the point
of view of both quantity and quality. The improvement in supplied
water quality will reduce the accumulation of salts in the aquifers.
Intensive action is being taken to deal with contaminated parts of the
aquifers.
Manufactured water will be the source for future increasing demand
and the fulfilling of existing and future agreements with our
neighbors. Regional plans must be focused on the production of new
water resources and not on the redistribution of scarce and insufficient
resources.
Every drop of sewage effluents must be reused in adequate quality,
taking into account cultural aspects. Sewage effluents will be the main
water resource for agriculture in our region. Municipal and industrial
usages are being investigated.
Preserving water must become a way of life in our region. Economic
methods such as water saving devices and advanced technologies for
irrigatio n should be used. Appropriate legislation must lead people to
water saving activities. Education and explanation will ensure long
term results.
By reducing water pumpage in the natural water resources and thereby
elevating water levels, Nature will be compensated after years of
depletion.
On the basis of this policy, the Water Commission consolidated a
national master plan for the Israeli water sector. [The master plan was
originally built for the years 2002-2010 with the main goal of leading
the water sector from a situation of crisis to a situation of stability.
The plan has solid foundations of sustainable development.
In conjunction with this plan another long term plan for the year 2040
is being prepared as part of a national effort to implement strate gic
policies in all governmental ministries. (The effort is being
coordinated by the Ministry of Environment)]
On the basis of [the short term] plan The Government of Israel has
already made some decisions and started implementing some of them:
1. The construction of seawater desalination plants with an installed
annual capacity of 315 MCM & an additional 50 MCM annual
capacity for brackish water desalination. [(This amount is 20 % of
the total demand in 2010)].
2. Israel will import from Turkey 50 MCM of fresh water annually
over a period of 20 years.
3. The amount of total reclaimed treated sewage for agriculture will
be increased from recent 300 up to 500 MCM.
4. 50 MCM of polluted wells will be rehabilitated.
5. 15 million dollars will be allocated for supporting water
conservation projects.
The plan is that all projects will be gradually completed by 2010.
Additional points regarding the implementation of sustainable
development policy:
In recent years, the Water Commission has been developing decision
support systems for planning & operating our national water system and
reservoirs.
During the last few months there has been an effort to combine the
environmental organizations to form?round table? discussions under the
policy of ?Fish Ball Planning?.
The policy & the acts presented here are part of an ongoing effort for
sustainable development in Israel & in the whole region.
Thank you !
Israel?s Water Sector ? Policy & Acts towards Sustainability
Israel has suffered a chronic water shortage for years. In recent years
however, the situation has developed into a crisis so severe that allocation
of water for urban use in the summer of the year 2002 almost didn?t meet
requirements in spite of the fact that there were 50% administrative cuts
in agricultural supply. During the crisis, we have reached & crossed all
operational lines in all national aquifers.
Although we've had two relatively good years of replenishment, the
current cumulative deficit in Israel?s renewable water resources amounts
to approximately 1000 million cubic meters, while the total potential
storage is estimated 3,000 million cubic meters, An amount that exceeds
the annual urban & industrial demand by 20% percent.
One crucial issue is the increasing contamination of the natural water
resources, mainly due to their over exploitation and high intensive surface
development.
The main reasons for the crisis are:
· Consecutive years of drought in the region.
· Increased demand by population growth & the rising standard of
living.
· A wrong policy of stretching the renewable water sources to the
limit.
All activities in water sector since this crisis are based on a new water
sector policy that incorporates a sustainable development plan which is
founded upon three basic components:
1. Ensuring water supply
2. Social economic requirements
3. Environmental and ecological needs.
The implementations of these principles in the water sector policy are:
All natural resources must be preserved and protected from the point
of view of both quantity and quality. The improvement in supplied
water quality will reduce the accumulation of salts in the aquifers.
Intensive action is being taken to deal with contaminated parts of the
aquifers.
Manufactured water will be the source for future increasing demand
and the fulfilling of existing and future agreements with our
neighbors. Regional plans must be focused on the production of new
water resources and not on the redistribution of scarce and insufficient
resources.
Every drop of sewage effluents must be reused in adequate quality,
taking into account cultural aspects. Sewage effluents will be the main
water resource for agriculture in our region. Municipal and industrial
usages are being investigated.
Preserving water must become a way of life in our region. Economic
methods such as water saving devices and advanced technologies for
irrigatio n should be used. Appropriate legislation must lead people to
water saving activities. Education and explanation will ensure long
term results.
By reducing water pumpage in the natural water resources and thereby
elevating water levels, Nature will be compensated after years of
depletion.
On the basis of this policy, the Water Commission consolidated a
national master plan for the Israeli water sector. [The master plan was
originally built for the years 2002-2010 with the main goal of leading
the water sector from a situation of crisis to a situation of stability.
The plan has solid foundations of sustainable development.
In conjunction with this plan another long term plan for the year 2040
is being prepared as part of a national effort to implement strate gic
policies in all governmental ministries. (The effort is being
coordinated by the Ministry of Environment)]
On the basis of [the short term] plan The Government of Israel has
already made some decisions and started implementing some of them:
1. The construction of seawater desalination plants with an installed
annual capacity of 315 MCM & an additional 50 MCM annual
capacity for brackish water desalination. [(This amount is 20 % of
the total demand in 2010)].
2. Israel will import from Turkey 50 MCM of fresh water annually
over a period of 20 years.
3. The amount of total reclaimed treated sewage for agriculture will
be increased from recent 300 up to 500 MCM.
4. 50 MCM of polluted wells will be rehabilitated.
5. 15 million dollars will be allocated for supporting water
conservation projects.
The plan is that all projects will be gradually completed by 2010.
Additional points regarding the implementation of sustainable
development policy:
In recent years, the Water Commission has been developing decision
support systems for planning & operating our national water system and
reservoirs.
During the last few months there has been an effort to combine the
environmental organizations to form?round table? discussions under the
policy of ?Fish Ball Planning?.
The policy & the acts presented here are part of an ongoing effort for
sustainable development in Israel & in the whole region.
Thank you !
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