Israel has a lot at stake in the battle against climate change, as its arid landscape and position between two major seas is certain to face major changes if sea levels rise or if precipitation patterns change.
While attempts to mitigate the deleterious effects are in action in Israel, there is also a realization that some changes can’t be avoided. That’s why preparation for this fluctuation also plays a role in the Jewish nation’s response to global warming.
According to an Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection report titled “Adaptation to Climate Change in Israel – Recommendations and Knowledge Gaps,” Israel developed a national climate change policy and action plan in 2009. In 2011, the Israeli Climate Change Information Center (ICCIC) was started. That all has led to an interministerial committee on climate change adaptation.
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Here are some of the nation’s responses to global warming.
1. Water resources
Water-saving devices, better wastewater treatment, promoting rain harvesting, and building additional desalinization facilities are some ideas proposed by the ICCIC. The desalinization plan is listed as “high regret” though, as the nation already has some.
According to the Jerusalem Foundation, rain harvesting is as a cost-effective way to collect millions of cubic meters of rainwater from the roofs of buildings in the city.
2. Public health
Climate change can affect mortality rates and the spread of disease. The ICCIC recommends lessening the pressure put on freshwater ecosystems, conserving open space, controlling invasive species (especially vectors) and more research and monitoring when it comes to science.
According to the World Health Organization, vectors do not stay confined within international borders, therefore Israel must also coordinate with neighboring nations when it comes to stopping vector-borne disease.
3. Green building
The ICCIC said more emphasis on green buildings addresses the issues from the mitigation and adaptation side, as the building sector accounts for a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, a government agency responsible for increasing sustainable, green building in the nation was one of the recommendations.
4. Geostrategy
The combination of many geographic factors, geostrategy should be used to leverage the threats and potential risks of climate change to enhance water production, underground construction policy, and securing the nation’s energy supply.
The Washington Post reported in 2012 that the Israeli government set aside funds for a five-story underground facility to be built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, perhaps giving the nation a preview of what underground buildings could look like.
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5. Economy
The ICCIC wrote a qualitative assessment of costs and benefits for the economic market. There is also going to be more detailed research on policies and evaluations of which policies are the most efficient.
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