POLITICS
Water Crisis A
Where is the Rain?
rid Israel depends on the winter rains to replenish its limited water supply, but this year they have been few and far between. The level of the Sea of Galilee, Israel’s biggest reservoir, rose by only 4 inches (10 cm.) from the beginning of the rainy season in mid-November to the end of January, less than one-tenth of the amount during a good year. The level of the lake is still some 11 feet (3.5 meters) below the maximum, and the rains usually end by Passover in midApril. If the level recedes to around 13 feet (4 meters) below capacity—the so-called “red line”—Israel’s water authorities would have to immediately stop all pumping from the lake. While the Sea of Galilee is the gauge, all three of Israel’s main reservoirs, including the coastal and mountain aquifers, are facing a critical shortage in 2008, due to five years of average or below average rainfall. “Israel’s land will dry out unless there is significant rainfall,” Amir Givati of the Israeli water authority told Israel Today. Through January, most of Israel only received about half of the average annual rainfall for that period. Fourteen manmade reservoirs on the Golan Heights and the natural Ram reservoir were dangerously depleted in the middle of the winter.
Israel Today
‘A DRY AND THIRSTY LAND’ (Ezek. 19:13): Reservoirs are almost empty
Combined, they can hold 45 million cubic meters of rainwater. The new reservoir near Ein Yahav in the Arava desert, with a capacity of 180,000 cubic meters, was also extremely low. “Israel’s reservoirs are nearly empty and we have to consider whether to start pumping from the aquifers,” said Tsuki Deutsch, director of the Golan water authority. But that would be extremely risky. If the aquifers are pumped there is a danger that they will be polluted by saltwater. The Israeli water company Mekorot has urged the government to start water conservation campaigns on TV and radio.
Aggravating the water situation, the Palestinians have pumped illegally from hundreds of wells in Judea and Samaria and some villagers have drilled into Israeli pipelines, effectively getting their water for free. The distribution of water is one of the most complicated subjects in peace negotiations because water means life. The Palestinians want control of all the water resources in Judea and Samaria, but Israel fears they would be rapidly depleted and polluted because of the mismanagement that has characterized Palestinian rule until now.
Water Consumption
In 2007, Israel produced 130 million cubic meters of water through desalination, and it plans to increase this amount in the coming years. Israel has two desalination plants on the Mediterranean coast and a third is under construction. It also imports water from Turkey. With a growing population and uncertain annual rainfall, desalination is seen as the key to Israel’s water needs in the future. But just as important, we urge all friends and supporters of Israel, and lovers of this Land, to pray for rain!
Israel’s annual water consumption is some 2 billion cubic meters, with 700 million going for domestic use and the rest allotted to agriculture and industry. Under peace agreements, 80 million cubic meters a year go to the Palestinian Authority and 50 million to Jordan. Average consumption of water in Israel is 280 liters (70 gallons) per person per day, more than four times that of the Palestinians and Jordanians. The higher consumption in Israel is due to the higher standard of living which includes the use of washing machines and dishwashers.
Desalination
By Aviel Schneider
March 2008 | 3