The Jewish state, which now celebrates its 77th year of independence, is expected to be much more hot in seven decades.
Without adequate long-term planning, Israel could become an urban heat island due to the fierce solar radiation and water concerns, said the head of the Urban Design Program of the Academy of Art and Design Bezalel, Danielah Smits-Possek, to The Jerusalem Post newspaper.
From the coasts in the decrease of the dead sea to the extreme heat of the Middle East, the environmental challenges will be critical in the next decades.
According to some of the main environmental and climatic innovators of Israel, who have dedicated their lives to addressing the environmental challenges that threaten to remodel the landscape in deep and potentially irreversible ways, there are two paths: idyllic or apocalyptic.
The pioneer of Israeli-American solar energy Yosef Abramowitz explained the turning point in which this country is and what awaits our children if we do not act soon.
“Herzl, when he had his vision for this place, imagined that all the energy was going to be green and that all cars were going to be electric,” AbramoWitz said.
If we do not work to fulfill Herzl’s vision, the alternative would be to let the fossil fuel industry destroy the future of our state, he explained.
Mor Gilboa, CEO of the Israeli NGO Zalul, detailed a world in which humanity has failed to stop climate change.
“With all my desire to imagine a better and cleaner world, it is very difficult given our current trajectory,” he said, explaining that currently, 80% of the world’s coral reefs, from Australia to Eilat, have been lost due to climatic crises, the increase in water temperatures and water acidification.
Gilad Ostrovsky, sangoosques chief of Keren Kayameth Leisrael-Jewish national Fund, explained that it is difficult to see beyond the obvious threat of climate change, especially given the fact that the Middle East is heating much faster than the world average.
“That means less rain, longer and shorter periods, droughts, really difficult conditions for human beings, but also for trees and for the natural environment. It is a real threat, and has a component of uncertainty. We are not sure what will happen. We must think in the long term and do everything possible to ensure that the open lands remain, not only for the next 77 years but also for the future.”
When we think of the greatest threats to our country, we are usually come to the Hamas or Hezbollah mind. But these experts explained that when looking to the future, we must start looking in.
“More people die from the effects of air pollution in the state of Israel every year than for October 7 and its consequences,” said Abramowitz, adding that the two main taxpayers to that massive figure, 5,510 in 2023 according to the Ministry of Health, are the pollution that comes from the generation of energy by burning gas and coal and the dependence of combustion motors for transport.
Gilboa explained that the current battle is not against a foreign enemy but against government ministries.
“In Zalul, we focus on preventing contamination in seas, streams and water sources, fighting wastewater, oil, plastics and industrial discharges that damage marine ecosystems. We are also concerned about light pollution caused by artificial spring lighting.
We are currently dealing with the Government’s desire and Katza’s plans (European Asia Ppeline Company) to drastically increase oil shipments through the port of Eilat, which is a great threat to the Gulf. If the government gives to Katza and increases oil shipments, we face scenarios of oil and disasters pollution. “
“Last February we had the least amount of rain recorded here, which means that this summer, forest fires will be especially fierce.
But before reaching the hottest months, Ostrovsky explained that the war has already accelerated the damage to our forests.
“We had almost 200,000 dunams (20,000 hectares) of open land that were burned, mainly by missiles and others. 20,000 (2,000) of them are forests. That means mainly conifers, oaks and the natural environment of Israel,” he explained. “
“In addition, the war is not pleasant. There is a lot of land degradation on new roads and points where the army is organizing. We must make sure to treat the forest and return it to the best tree coverage we can. Looking towards the future, wars are not predictable and hopefully we will live in peace with our neighbors.”
Could environmental innovation be the secret of peace?
Water conflicts have been a real problem throughout human history and is expected to get worse over time.
“Every Middle East, including Israel, is in a region very sensitive to the climate that is becoming dry with more droughts and less rains. Every year the heat record is broken from the previous year,” Gilboa explained, adding that there is a limit in how much water can be detached, which entails geopolitical complications.
There were plans for Israel to transfer water to Jordan, the ninth dry country in the world, in exchange for solar energy, but due to war, the agreements have stagnated.
“We need to treat the climatic crisis as a threat to our existence. As Joe Biden said, climate change is the greatest existential threat of our time. However, humanity is not acting sufficiently and Israel is not doing what is required to ensure that people can live here in 2100.”
What kind of Israel will we leave behind?
“If you ask me to project, I would like to be optimistic and wait for us to still have most of the forests with us, and maybe we will be wise enough to find compensation,” Ostrovsky said.
“We have to think in an innovative way. That means forests connected to towns and cities, small forests within cities and some new forest areas along agricultural land. [Hay] So many new ideas that we should put into practice to ensure, as I said before, to keep the lands open and forests for the next generations. “
Gilboa echoed those feelings: “We have not yet reached the turning point; there is still time. Humanity can mobilize and do much more by the climate and the environment,” he said, adding that each of us has the means to help the planet with small changes such as modifying our online purchase habits, reducing the use of single -use plastics and flying less.
What would these experts do to help save our planet?
“Israel is a power of high technology and clean technology, exporting worldwide technology. We can implement these technologies here to better protect Eilat’s Gulf, the Mediterranean Sea, our streams and the Dead Sea, preserving ecological heritage for future generations.”
“I would say that we adopt the UN schedule not to lose a forest dune, and even more, to expand forests every year … I think that if it obtained government support, we could achieve it,” said Ostrovsky, adding that this is not just a desire but something very possible to achieve.
“That means that the development of cities will be within the built area only, and if it is necessary to take a part of the forest, there will be compensation elsewhere. It is practical and feasible, we need a lot of vision to achieve it. It would be an excellent gift for Israel and for the next generations.”
Gilboa suggested an urgent transition to obtaining energy based at least 80% in renewable energy, drastically reducing oil transport and our dependence on fossil fuels. “
“It would also promote policies that protect the sea, declaring many more marine reserves in coastal areas, protecting them from drilling and oil transport,” he said.
“Currently, 80% of our waste are going to landfills, which is a very high percentage. Within OECD countries [Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos]we are in second place, with only a country that makes it worse. These landfill residues pollute the ground, emit greenhouse gases such as methane, and much of them end on beaches, nature, streams and the sea, damaging health and ecosystems. “
Gilboa also detailed his idea to address pollution, explaining that with almost every heavy rain, wastewater is poured into drainage, beaches and streams, damaging marine environments, animals and public health.
“The Ministry of Environmental Protection says that it needs one hundred million Shekels and many positions to establish marine emergency stations. There is a national plan for the prevention and management of oil disasters at sea, but it is not funded. If a disaster occurred tomorrow, we could not handle it.”
For AbramoWitz, the plan was detailed succinctly, a way to ensure that Israel works 100% with solar energy by 2030, a deadline that he still believes we can achieve.
“Each roof will be obliged to have solar energy, in addition to energy storage, even only for energy security. [Debería ser obligatorio] That we have a large land reserve available for solar fields, which is given an exemption from construction permits for solar fields, “he said, adding that the question to be asked is not ‘how much will this cost?’, But rather ‘How much will this save?’
“The large -scale solar energy is approximately one third of the gas price. So it is more about how much we would save if we did that. And then the question – because there are rockets, ballistic missiles, cyber attacks, and an active seismic area – only for our own energy security, how much would it cost if we do not quickly create a distributed energy network that could survive any of those types of negative events?
The future we choose
When contemplating the next 77 years of Israel, the crossroads in which we are today will determine the landscape that our children and grandchildren inherit. These experts painted a picture not only of challenges, but also of notable opportunities that are aligned with Israel’s founding vision itself.
Herzl’s original dream included renewable energy and sustainable transport, a vision that we have not yet achieved but has become increasingly necessary. Today, we must honor your legacy with modern tools and a renewed commitment.
Environmental safety goes beyond recycling or tree planting; It is a matter of national security. When more Israelis die from pollution that for conflicts every year, we must expand our definition of what threatens our nation.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection declined to be interviewed for this article. This official inaction speaks a lot about current priorities and reinforces what our experts have emphasized: we cannot expect help.
Israel’s position as the Start-UP nation provides unique advantages in this fight. The same inventiveness that has created technologies that have changed the world can be used to develop solutions not only for Israel, but for the entire region. Environmental cooperation, such as the stagnant water-energy agreement with Jordan, offers a path to peace that transcends politics.
Will we continue in our current trajectory towards a hotter, drier and more contaminated Israel, or will we accept the challenge of creating a sustainable future? Will we allow the Dead Sea to continue shrinking until there are only in photographs, or will we take measures to ensure that our children can swim and play in it as we do now?
The 2100 Israel is being molded by the decisions made today. The future we choose will be our legacy. ■
