According to the WHO (World Health Organization), in seven years, half of the world’s population will live in an area where water is at risk of running out. Israel has therefore focused on the production and optimization of water to secure its future. And its cutting-edge techniques are being exported worldwide.
Water in Israel, an ancient and vital story
The Negev Desert is both a gold mine and a backbone in the field of water in Israel. It is 35 degrees. A significant factory, full of machine tools, produces a drip irrigation system, which drastically saves water consumption. It was invented 40 years ago in the kibbutz Hatzerim by the company Netafim, which has since become a multinational corporation.
Shelo Tunik is a pioneer in this venture: ”When we started here in the kibbutz, we had a single injection machine. Now, we produce a million parts a day.”
The policy of Israel is based on two pillars: water production and conservation. Five desalination plants have been built in recent years, along with an industry to control this water.
Shelo Tunik: ”Around our idea, a large industry has emerged, with automatic valves, automatic controllers, automatic filters. It has become digital agriculture.”
This researcher who tries to make almond trees speak
In the Negev, amidst the sand and ochre-colored rock, Alon Bengal is trying to make almond trees speak. He is a researcher for the Volcani Institute in the field of irrigation. The Volcani Institute supports agriculture by seeking to optimize water use. In the Negev, the center collects information on the needs of the trees. Even saline water has become usable.
We spend a lot of time and energy acquiring knowledge that will allow us to make decisions. We need to know how to set the salt aside, keeping it away from the roots, where the plant is most sensitive.
But the country is now being caught up by the climate. Due to repeated droughts, two new desalination plants will soon be launched.
For Uri Shor, the spokesperson for the water authority in Israel:
”In the last five years, the north has had almost no rain. This is completely new. We need to adapt. In a few years, we expect the situation to be even different.”
Producing water = independence
Israel plans to double its water production in just over ten years to ensure its independence. Five desalination plants produce 70% of the drinking water in Israel.
86% of wastewater is recycled for agriculture.
The company Netafim, which invented drip irrigation, employs 4,000 people worldwide and has 19 factories around the globe. It was acquired by the Mexican chemical group Mexichem in 2017.
