Proceeds from the
Tree of Life dinner benefit
the Be'er Sheva River Project
B
e'er Sheva, known as the capital of the Negev, is
home to 200,000 residents. Through it runs Nahal
Be'er Sheva (Be'er Sheva River), a muddy trickle of
water except on the few days a year when flash floods run
down its banks. The city's image mirrors the landscape.
Despite its historical significance, many see Be'er Sheva as
a stagnant backwater, culturally and geographically
isolated from the miracle of modern Israel.
What Be'er Sheva needs is a renaissance, and Jewish
National Fund, through our Blueprint Negev initiative, is
providing the means. The centerpiece of our efforts is the
revitalization of Nahal Be'er Sheva, a massive water,
environment and economic development project that will
transform the riverfront into a 900-acre civic paradise.
Plans include cleaning up the river that intersects the city
from east to west, creating a park and an artificial lake,
planting trees and developing trails.
Aiming to increase the population of Be'er Sheva to
400,000, Nahal Be'er Sheva will be an engine for the city's
rebirth. The creation of a thriving waterfront district will
attract new businesses and entice visitors passing through
the city to stop, relax, and enjoy a green desert oasis that
offers a wealth of possibilities for family recreation. With
the planned construction of beautiful new homes, young
families will consider moving to this exciting new
neighborhood.
JNF will use its expertise in water rehabilitation to
recycle the city's water, transport it to a large lake, and then
send it down the dry riverbed year round as clean water
for recreation that will bring renewed life to downtown
Be'er Sheva. The riverbanks will be home to 750 acres of
new parks, with a promenade, gardens showcasing desert
flora and fauna, recreation areas, bicycle trails, historic and
archeological sites, an 8,000-seat amphitheater and 40,000
new trees. JNF has already begun to build some parks
along the river, including the historical site of Beit Eshel
and the Turkish Bridge.
Through the Nahal Be'er Sheva project, Be'er Sheva's
image is being transformed into that of a green and
vibrant modern city, truly the capital of the Negev.
Responds to Water Crisis
In response to the unprecedented water crisis in Israel,
Jewish National Fund-Keren Kayemeth Lelsrael (JNF-KKL)
is building five new reservoirs across the State.
To date, JNF-KKL has funded and built 200 reservoirs
and dams throughout Israel, adding over 66 billion
gallons of treated water and flood water to Israel's
national water economy, or 10% of the total water
supply. This water irrigates about 112 thousand acres of
orchards and field crops that would otherwise use up
scarce freshwater. JNF reservoirs meet about 40% of
Israel's agricultural water needs, thereby alleviating the
pressure of supplying drinking water to the population.
At a special news conference last month in Tel Aviv,
Uri Shani, director of the Israel Water Authority, laid
bare the facts: "This is the worst crisis since records
started being kept 80 years ago," he said. "Like most
countries, Israel is dependent on rainfall and the amount of rainfall is decreasing."
Shani described the increasing damage to Israel's main natural water sources. "Israel's major sources
of drinking water, including the Sea of Galilee and the mountain aquifer, are below their 'red lines,
meaning they are not recommended to draw water. Another large water source, the coastal aquifer, has
fallen below its 'black line' -- if additional water is drawn it could suffer serious damage. The mountain
aquifer is likely to reach its black line this year," he said.
Shani said the Sea of Galilee also would reach its black line by December. It is not possible to pump
water from the sea at that point since the pipes are unable to reach the water.
He added that long range weather forecast predictions tell an equally grim story for next year.
To alleviate the crisis, the Water Authority has started to pump water from tributaries that empty
into the Sea of Galilee -- water that was not expected to reach the sea or be used until 2010. In addition,
polluted wells will be purified and desalination plants will increase their output.
Though desalinized water will play a vital role in closing the gap it is more expensive than
recycled water and can also be recycled, thereby making efforts that focus on recycling water all
the more valuable.
JNF-KKL's research on the uses of recycled water, as well as the continued building of reservoirs all
over the country, are an immediate and most effective solution to alleviating Israel's water predicament
and are an integral part of its plans for supplying water over the long term. Thankfully, JNF foresaw the
significance of the water issue and began allocating resources to build reservoirs in the late 1980s.
Currently, nearly 90 billion gallons of waste water in Israel is not getting recycled. JNF has
committed to building another 20 reservoirs over the next two years. Reservoirs that do not store
recycled water capture rainwater and flood runoff, which would otherwise be lost to the sea, for
irrigation and to enrich underground aquifers.
Israel's total water consumption today stands at around 2 billion cubic meters of water per year By
the year 2020 the population of Israel is expected to grow by another three million people. This means
that the country will require another 300 million cubic meters of drinking water in order to cope with
this population growth and the ever-rising standard of living.
The five reservoirs currently under or about to begin construction are: Beit Guvrin in the Adolam
Region; Ayelet Hashachar/Gadot in the upper Galilee; Sderot; Sharona in the lower Galilee; and Alonim
in the Jezreel Valley.
In addition to reservoir construction, JNF is also involved in river rehabilitation. As the coordinating
body in the effort to restore Israel's rivers, JNF, together with Israel's Ministry of the Environment,
manages a highly intricate network of partners and authorities. In 1993, JNF and the Ministry of the
Environment created the River Rehabilitation Authority that is the umbrella authority of over 15
governmental, non-profit and research bodies concerned with river health. River restoration includes
channel regulation to conduct floodwaters, reduction programs in the quantity of waste and raising the
purification level to a suitable baseline for fish breeding and selective irrigation. Over a dozen streams
have already benefited from JNF's efforts, including the Ein Harod River bordering the Jezreel Valley
and the Alexander River near Netanya, a severely polluted 20-mile stream that runs through Jewish and
Arab towns. JNF led a joint effort between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to restore the Alexander
River. Currently, JNF is embarking on a major joint program to rehabilitate the Yarkon River running
through Israel's largest population center.