Ecological Answer
To The Desert
DAN GOLDBERG
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
With increasing awareness of
mankind's role in the environ-
ment's deterioration, man has be-
gun to realize that we are also
the mechanics capable of repa ir-
ing the damage.
Israel has established itself as
an internationally respected
leader in repairing the damage
of desertification — a process in
which the desert reclaims acres
upon acres of arable land.
Desertification results pre-
dominantly from human neglect,
deforestation and poor soil man-
agement. Lack of crop rotation,
for example, depletes the soil's
nutrients, making the soil less
fertile, while deforestation de-
stroys vital roots which anchor
the nutrient-rich topsoil ensur-
ing reproductivity.
Savannization rolls
back the desert.
Like an anchorless ship in a
stormy sea, the unprotected and
unsheltered topsoil gets blown
away by gusty winds, leaving
loose, crumbly soil, unfit for grow-
ing crops. Eventually, the land is
simply annexed by encroaching
desert.
Over the last decade, Israel
has quietly become a pione6r not
only in halting this desertifica-
tion trend, but also in reversing
it. In June 1994, at a workshop
sponsored by the International
Arid Lands Consortium — com-
posed of the Jewish National
Fund, the U.S. Forest Service
and five American universities
— delegates from over a dozen
"affected" countries came to learn
about the Israeli method for over-
coming the problems of deserti-
fication: "savannization." They
witnessed its application in the
Negev and concluded that this
method should be considered for
dealing with desertification glob-
ally.
Savannization plants trees in
desert landscapes of low produc-
tivity. Efficient use of the natur-
al watersheds and the
implementation of contour plow-
ing ensures that the plants —
backed by a "wall" of soil — catch
all of the available water.
Water and vegetation are the
two main ingredients: As soon as
the vegetation takes hold, the de-
sertification process is halted.
Plans are under way to sav-
annize 500 to 600 acres of deser-
tified land annually, as part of
JNF's national environmental
movement throughout the coun-
try. ❑
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