How We Care For A Nation JNF's work in Israel is concentrated in seven different action areas that include water, ecology & afforestation, education, security, tourism & recreation, research & development and community development. Water • Israel requires more water for consumption than its resources yield. Annually, Israel faces a deficit of almost 53 billion gallons. • By 2020 it is estimated that Israel will require 30% more water in order to meet the demand of its growing population. • JNF has helped build 200 reservoirs and dams which, combined, add up to a 10% increase in Israel's water economy and free up enough water to meet the needs of over 1.2 million Israelis each year. Ecology & Afforestation • JNF has planted over 240 million trees in Israel. • Each year JNF plants between 2.5 and 5 million saplings. • Through its work, JNF has helped curtail the "greenhouse effect," increased the efficiency of underground water replenishment and created "green lungs" around communities for health and relaxation. Education • Through its education initiatives, JNF brings an understanding of eco-Zionism — the connection between Judaism, the environment and Israel — to each new generation. • JNF has established a presence in almost every public school in Israel and almost every day school in the U.S. • To connect young American Jews to Israel, JNF has implemented its Tu B'Shevat in the Schools and Plant Your Way to Israel programs. On college campuses JNF's College Activist Department spearheads Caravan for Democracy, a program that fosters Israeli advocacy. Security • JNF has constructed security roads at the Lebanese border to allow Israelis to go about their lives without fear of terrorist activity. We are now working on similar roads along the Gaza border. • Parks, playgrounds and recreation areas are being constructed so that families can gather safely and enjoy peaceful time together away from the stresses of daily life. • Meeting and recreation places are also being built where IDF soldiers can relax with their families. Tourism & Recreation • JNF has created thousands of parks, forests and recreation areas, preserving Israel's beauty and resources for future generations. • JNF has played a key role in restoring more than 50 historical and archaeological sites such as Be'it Shean and Timna Valley National Park. • JNF Travel & Tours offers opportunities to visit Israel through solidarity missions, family vacations or bar/bat mitzvah trips. Research & Development • In an effort to find solutions to the ecological problems indigenous to the Middle East, JNF is helping Israel maintain an agricultural and economic edge by funding research stations and universities throughout Israel. • JNF has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and the International Arid Land Consortium to find solutions to worldwide forestry, watershed management and arid land management problems. • JNF has represented Israel at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, as well as at the UN Headquarters in New York City. Community Development • One of JNF's priorities is to develop affordable housing sites for immigrants, seniors and young Israelis fresh from military services. • Recently, JNF has been developing affordable housing in the Negev desert, partnering with the Israeli government to help establish at least 25 new towns there. • JNF is also creating recreation sites, agriculture infrastructure and revenue-generating tourism facilities in the Negev.