Humans have been living in hostile regions since primeval times and have learned to cope with adverse circumstances. A positive example from the recent past is Israel:
The Israelis have been dealing with drought, heat and water shortages since the state was founded, out of sheer necessity. Reclamation is an Israeli specialty. Three or four decades ago, it was often said that the Jews had “made the desert bloom”. That’s true, but only partially.
60 percent of Israel’s territory is desert, the rest is arid, especially in summer. For the founding fathers, this was not an evil, but a national challenge. All water supplies were nationalized in 1959 and are managed by the Mekorot company.
The country seems to me to be a positive example of how a modern economy can cope with extreme climatic conditions and at the same time help its neighbors.
Already in 1964 the big “National Water Carrier” was put into operation and has since been expanded and expanded. The water is transported from the Sea of Galilee to the Negev desert. The 130 km long system supplies large parts of the country in the south with drinking water from the water-rich north of Israel. About three quarters of the usable Water is north of Tel Aviv, but in the south at the transition to the Negev desert there are large areas that can be used for agriculture with appropriate irrigation.
Due to increasing irrigation in agriculture, water consumption in Israel has risen sharply since its foundation, while the available water reserves are and remain low. Most of the rain falls in winter, but not at all in summer when it is most needed. In addition, annual precipitation can vary significantly.
The construction of the water system, which lowered the level of the Jordan and Dead Seas, led to sharp disputes with Jordan and Syria at the time. To counteract this, Saving water a kind of Israeli national sport,
the scientists and inventors participated enthusiastically. The world’s best-known Israeli invention is drip irrigation. It arose over the decades in the kibbutzim, which had to avoid wasting any water. Today, the hoses with the small holes are spread all over Israel, controlled by computers whose probes measure the soil moisture and determine where and how much water and fertilizer is needed.
Drip irrigation saves 25 to 75 percent water. You usually need less fertilizer and pesticides. In addition:
Treated wastewater has been used in agriculture and industry for years, more than in any other country. Heat-resistant, less thirsty crops are bred, and all toilets in the country must be equipped with an economy button.
The savings are enormous overall, but not enough on their own to prevent devastating water shortages. And so the country has greatly expanded desalination technology.
The cabinet decided in 2000 to industrialize desalination. The first plant was built in Ashkelon in 2005, today desalination supplies more than half of the water and makes Israel a water exporter. Almost 600 million cubic meters of seawater are desalinated every year. Israel supplies water to neighboring countries, smaller amounts to Gaza, 50 million tons annually or more to Jordan as needed.
Climate change doesn’t make it any easier.
Rising temperatures, sandstorms and declining rainfall are troubling all countries in the region as well as they are prepared, including Israel. The drinking water reserves in the Gulf States will be exhausted in 50 years. Temperatures in Iraq are rising two and a half times faster than the world average. Deserts are growing in Iran, Syria, Jordan and Iraq.
But Israel is in a slightly better position than its neighbors: desertification does not exist here. The country is extraordinarily green for its geographical location. On satellite images you can see a “green streaks in a sea of sand“. Thanks to efforts in the past to stop desertification. Which is no guarantee for the future. The government must continue to act with foresight – and relies on a mixture of tight state control and inventiveness.
On the one hand, the fight against desertification is nationally orchestrated. Everything that had to do with water and was previously spread across numerous ministries is now centralized. On the other hand, there is one today
creative startup culture that attracts billions in investment from around the world every year. You take advantage of this potential. The government sets the guidelines and stimulates research with initiatives, perks, and credits.
For example, one project is tinkering with a machine that pulls water out of the air
with 50 percent less power consumption than an air conditioner. This is possible because the machine does not first cool the air-water mixture, but first separates water and air using the copolymer and only then brings the water to precipitation temperature. “The best thing about it,” says Arad, “is the fact that the water is perfectly pure. There are neither viruses nor bacteria in it, they can’t even be in there.”
Or one researches the optimal, environmentally friendly fertilization. So on a sensor system that determines the exact nitrate content in the soil and thus also the exact fertilization requirement. If you know when and where how much fertilizer you need, you can reduce nitrate consumption, the yield remains the same, “the farmer is happy, and so is the environment”.
Now Israel “only” has to convert its energy system to renewable sources.
According to the government program the share of renewable energies in national electricity generation, which was 1.9% in 2015, should be increased to 30% in 2030. However, the target of 10% set for 2020 has still not been reached. The percentage of renewables is currently less than 9%, the majority of which is solar energy.
Nobody is perfect …