Israel gladly shares with the rest of the world its experience, innovations and achievements making the desert bloom.
Israel is lending its expertise transforming arid landscapes into flourishing oases, a Zionist point of pride for over a century, to countries affected by advancing desert.
As a signatory to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Israel transfers to affected countries in Africa, Central Asia and Latin America the technologies it developed and tested in the extreme conditions of the Negev desert in southern Israel.
Desertification refers to a process of degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas as a result of human activity, climate change and various additional factors.
As a result of land degradation, agricultural yields decrease worsening the economic situation of indigenous populations, particularly in the poorer areas of developing countries, which leads to hunger, strife and massive emigration.
With desert covering a large part of its surface, Israel has developed solutions to make the desert bloom, from which the rest of the world benefits.
The State of Israel emphasizes international development to fight desertification through cooperative programs for training, project development and research.
Among Israel’s areas of expertise are water recycling, water management, irrigation, agriculture in arid environments, soil erosion, desalinization, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and afforestation.
Extensive R&D and decades of hands-on experience in dry-lands conditions enable Israel to help other countries.
Israel works closely with the UNCCD and its Executive Secretary to achieve the agency’s goals, plans and framework.
Israel began transferring its knowledge during the late 1950’s. The majority of Israel’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) is based on technical assistance and sharing accumulated know-how, technologies, and expertise.
By: United with Israel Staff