Access by Affected Country Parties 
to Technology, Knowledge and Know-How
Case Study of Israel
Presented to the 
Committee for the Review 
of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC1)  
Rome, Italy, 13 November 2002
Prepared by
Blaustein Institute for Desert Research
Sede Boqer Campus
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
 
for the
 Department of International Organizations
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State of Israel
 1 November 2002
 Israel’s practices for 40 km
combating desertification 700

1. Study the natural Dry subhumid

N
potential of your Mediterranean 
country’s ecosystems scrublands
32o
Israel has different types of
dryland ecosystems 500
Asian steppes
↓ 300
Their sensitivity to Semi arid
desertification increases
with their aridity 100 Arid
Sahara-Arabian
deserts
Hyper arid
2. Gain experience in 50
combating desertification 30o
by developing less 22,145 km2
sensitive dryland first
3. Major experience gained from exploring agriculture
dependent on low quality and unpredictably variable
quantities of local water resources – sustainability of 
dryland agricultural development requires 
transported water of high quality and stable quantities

30% of Israel water pumped from a lake managed as

operational reservoir from –220 m b.s.l. to 150 m a.s.l.
and transported along 300 km; these large quantities of
high quality water enable:

Rangeland Cropland
Year-round irrigation
Year-round cover
Leaching

No salinization No soil erosion
 4. Coupling water transportation with water
conservation - increase water use efficiency

Irrigation practices Reduces:
Surface            45% • evaporation losses
Sprinklers       75% • fertilizer use
Drip                 95% • herbicide use
• risks of salt damage
• health risks of wastewater
10000
9000 M 3/hectare/year
8000
Productivity
7000
Increase x 20
6000
5000
4000
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
5. Rather than fight the desert curses, uncover and exploit the
desert’s blessings, for making dryland products competitive
Curse to blessing: Benefits:
• Solar radiation –   •  Low water use
 much light •  Low pesticide use
 warm winters •  Low land use
• Fossil water, brackish •  CO2  fertilization
Used for:
  Cash crops
 Fruits & vegetables
 Ornamental
 Spices 
 Aquaculture
  Fish
  Algae Contributors to productivity:
  Shrimps Agrotechnology, Mechanization, 
Research, Extension …………….. 96%
Land and Water …………………   4%
Protected  Dryland Agriculture - Greenhouses
6. Dryland-adapted afforestation of rangelands (“Savannization”)
is a multi-purpose tool for combating desertification
200

150 mm

Runoff harvesting –
additional 35% 
of annual rainfall
Afforestation (not reforestation) of a semi-arid dryland
 7. “Savannization” promotes pastoralism and tourism

Water-harvesting landscaping
Planted trees

Soil conservation Firewood production

Flood control

Increased soil moisture Recreation &

ecotourism
Promoted biodiversity
Higher forage quality
Fire management by controlled
grazing
 8. Synergies between afforestation and agriculture

•Protected agriculture
•Afforestation
combined
•Save water
•Generate new water
•Afforestation
•Irrigated agriculture
In the semi-arid region 

reduced surface reflectance

10-25% increase in  
diurnal rains 
 9. Re-use of wastewater and combating desertification

In Dry subhumid
• Population Growth
• Increased standard of life

Increase water demand Urban sprawl
for domestic use 

Less land
Less water
Dry subhumid agriculture

More wastewater 110Mm3
360Mm3 Mediterranean
Semiarid agriculture Pollution
Orchards Treatment (Barcelona 
250Mm3 Convention)
Salinization risk ? Sludge
10. Use of sludge – experimental application to semi-
arid wheat fields
•Increase in yield – 34-38%
•Increase in soil concentration of nutrients
•Increase in soil concentration of heavy metals
11. Cooperate with neighboring countries on 
common standards for re-use of treated 
wastewater and application of sludge, to promote 
future export and import of dryland agricultural 
products

October 2002 meeting of Israel, PA, Jordan, Egypt and

Tunisia in Grenada, Spain, on these standards (under the
project “Regional Initiative for Dryland Management”)