5 Min(s) Read
By H E Naor Gilon Apr 21, 2023 4:56:39 PM IST (Published)
Despite its young age and relatively small area, Israel has accumulated vast experience in planting forests in semi-arid regions and preserving them in dry and extreme conditions. This know-how and experience are priceless for a world where forests that are so necessary to deal with the climate crisis are dying from heat, drought and diseases and are burning, writes H.E. Naor Gilon, the Ambassador of Israel to India.
This year on April 22nd we will celebrate Earth Day all over the world. Despite the growing acknowledgment of the importance of protecting the fragile and unique planet we live on, it appears that we are only making matters worse. The environmental crises are piling up; the climate crisis, the crisis of biological diversity and the extinction of species, the plastic pollution that reaches every corner of the earth, the growing water shortage, the deterioration of food security for many in the world, the continuous deforestation, intensifying desertification processes and with them, the increase in zoonotic diseases and more are all getting worse.
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For a second, it looks like the human race has lost all hope because the pace of environmental crises and their consequences are increasing. But, losing hope is not an option, and just as we are the ones who cause the environmental-climatic crises, we are the ones who can and must not only stop them, but also restore nature, the environment, and the climate to live a better, healthier, and happier life.
The Israeli experience
Many have written about how this can be done, and indeed, there is a wide variety of areas in which we can make an important change. However, in this article, we would like to concentrate on our experience in the State of Israel in the fields of climate and environmental innovation and offer several practical, applicable, and relatively inexpensive solutions that can help deal with the environmental and climate crises of our time. Due to its location in the desert with a scarcity of natural resources and water, Israel is a living laboratory for developing solutions of this type.
Water
We will begin with water. We celebrated international water day a month ago and we know that the world water crisis is growing rapidly. The Israeli experience shows we must accompany water conservation with a broad communication and informational campaign to encourage the public to save water. It is also necessary to purify as much wastewater as possible and use it in agriculture: Israel purifies 94% of wastewater, of which close to 90% is used for agriculture. Moreover, water loss in urban systems in Israel is minimal, standing at only a few percent. The above practices are thanks to the groundbreaking technologies developed in Israel and the knowledge accumulated over the years, which can be applied in large parts of the world.
Agriculture
The second field is agriculture. The Israeli experience is to move as much as possible to irrigation-based agriculture, preferably one that is efficient, like drip irrigation, which results in higher yields and significant water savings. The development of drought-resistant crops, the use of brackish water in agriculture, the development of crops with a higher yield, biological pesticides, the use of satellites and precision agriculture - all contribute to increasing food security and reducing damage to natural resources.
MASHAV- Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation is engaged in different projects all over the world, including India, to pursue sustainable development. Together both countries have established 30 fully-active Centers of Excellence in different parts of India, which are benefiting local farmers. New agricultural technologies such as protected cultivation, drip irrigation and fertigation are demonstrated here.
Every year, these centers produce more than 40 million premium quality vegetable seedlings, over 500 thousand high-quality fruit plants, and train more than 120 thousand Indian farmers. MASHAV also brings many Israeli experts to India and trains the trainers of these centers throughout the year. Similarly, Indian agricultural officers heading these centers receive training in Israel.
Strategic partnership
India and Israel have a strategic partnership in water management. Both nations are cooperating intensively in this field by sharing knowledge, technologies and expertise. The importance of this partnership can be understood from the fact that India is the only country where Israel has the position of a Water Attache to help share Israeli best practices and technologies for advancements in India's water management sector.
Few people know this, but from the very beginning of the founding of the State of Israel 75 years ago, its first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, saw the field of solar energy as one of the areas that Israel should lead. Today, more than 200 companies and start-ups in Israel are engaged in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy storage - all of which are necessary for successfully dealing with the climate crisis.
SDGs
Despite its young age and relatively small area, Israel has accumulated vast experience in planting forests in semi-arid regions and preserving them in dry and extreme conditions. This know-how and experience are priceless for a world where forests that are so necessary to deal with the climate crisis are dying from heat, drought and diseases and are burning.
When we celebrate Earth Day again, we must remember goal number 17 in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals - the SDGs- that is about cooperation. Only through cooperation, sharing best practices, knowledge, experience and more can we overcome the significant challenges at our doorstep.
Israel has so much to share and learn from our friends in India. Together both countries can play a major role in the global fight against the climate crisis.
—The author, H.E. Naor Gilon, is the Ambassador of Israel to India. The views expressed are personal.
(Edited by : C H Unnikrishnan)
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