I Finally Meet My Prince
Karin meets Prince Hassan of Jordan at a water security conference in Switzerland last week.
It was a meeting of minds, water minds. Water consultants, ambassadors who’ve built water treaties, and government specialists and negotiators from around the Middle East and Europe gathered in Montreux, Switzerland for a two-day workshop on Water Security in the Middle East last week. Sure, I am busy writing stories for ISRAEL21c, but an environment blog I run called Green Prophet was invited to attend. The object was to explore sustainable and cooperative solutions to water security, and to use the problem of water and turn it into an instrument of peace.
Organized by the Strategic Foresight Group, the same India-based firm that brought us the Cost of Conflict to the Environment in the Middle East report, the event included a gala supper, and meeting with the Prince of Jordan, sponsored by the Swiss and Swedish governments. Both peace-loving and humanitarian nations are eager to ease future conflicts in the Middle East, with all fingers pointing to water conflict being the fuel for the next big one, many believe. But how can it be done? Read more
High school musical – the hike
Filed under: A New Reality, General, History and Culture, Israeliness, Life, Travel
A uniquely Israeli creation, the tiyul shnati (Annual trip) has been part of our family’s lives since our oldest child was big enough for one of the outdoor overnight, multi-day trips.
Whether they attend secular or religious schools, the annual trips are generally chock full of walking the land, camping in the rough, rope and ladder climbing water hikes, barbecues, cameraderie, pranks, and living and breathing Zionism.
With 10 months spent cooped up in the classroom, middle and high schoolers earn their three days out in nature, and our 15-year-old son was up bright-eyed and ready at 5:30 am this morning waiting for one of us to drive him to school.
Of course, it’s not primarily about Zionism, it’s primarily about pranks. When I asked him what kind of pranks the kids play on each other these days, he recounted one successful mission last year of entering another tent in the middle of the night, and scrawling in red marker the name of a body part on the forehead of a ‘friend.’
The preparations begin days earlier, with the required trip to the candy story for obligatory ‘junk’ bag of everything we don’t let him have the rest of the year. The school list of required equipment includes enough bottles of water to stock a small pool, but he also insisted on buying a six-pack of Coke. Both the portable music player and the cell phone stayed at home, which was an accomplishment in itself, and almost worth the cost of the trip.
Which is a sore point – a number of students weren’t attending the trip due to the expense involved. On top of the annual school fees and miscellanous charges, the school charged NIS 790 (almost $200) for the trip. I know that there’s the costs of the buses, the guides, etc… but they’re not even staying in youth hostels or hotels, they’re camping out!
If it’s a class trip, meant to build a spirit of student togetherness, there should be a way for all the students to go, even if it means cutting out some of the schedule and shortening the outing by a day.
It’s a macro problem, but this morning, we were dealing with the micro, hastily digging the forgotten sleeping bag out of the closet at the last minute. With that squared away, our young man took his last shower for three days, packed an extra pair of shoes for the water, reluctantly stuffed in something to wear if it got cold at night, made sure he had his red marker, and put his candy in a water-proof section of his backpack. With attention to detail like that, he’ll go far in life.
Pope, Help Us Save Israel’s Jordan River
(Thousands of Christian pilgrims get baptized in Israel’s Jordan River every year. Are they risking their life by immersing in the polluted waters?)
It’s the highlight of any Christian’s trip to Israel – a dunk in the Jordan River, the way Jesus did it thousands of years ago. But with increased pollution in Israel’s waterways, Israeli activists are using the Pope’s visit to Israel tomorrow to urge action on cleaning up the Jordan.
It is Pope Benedict XVI’s first visit to Israel, and as many as 15,000 Catholic pilgrims are expected to descend on Israel to see the Pope when he is there.
According to Christian belief, the Jordan River is the site of Jesus’s baptism; when pilgrims come to Israel (including my mother), they not only immerse themselves in the water, but take samples of it home for souvenirs.
But Zalul, Israel’s water environmental association, says that the water is extremely polluted they said in an open letter to the pope on open letter to Pope.
“Water from the once-proud Jordan River is being diverted for domestic and agricultural use, leaving the lower part of the river a shrivelled stream with little to no fresh water and filled with sewage,” the letter said.
But those doing so now “risk their own health when entering the water.”
“Your Holiness, all of the Jordan River’s visitors should have the right to be baptised in water that is natural and true,” activists from Zalul urged.
On Sunday, the pope is to visit the Jordan baptismal site on the east side of the river.
::AFP [image via jocelyndursten]
This post was originally published on the environment website Green Prophet.
Nostalgia Sunday – Mekorot’s water portfolio
Filed under: Environment, General, History and Culture, Nostalgia Sunday
To celebrate Tel Aviv’s Centennial anniversary, Mekorot, Israel’s national water company, has dug into its photo archive and released images from the construction of the Tel Aviv water pipeline project. Check out the kovaei tembel, the soft cloth hats that once symbolized the Israeli pioneer worker.
These images are from 1963. The original Western Pipeline – Yarkon-Negev Plant pipeline was completed in 1955 but as Tel Aviv’s population grew, along with demand for water, it was decided to add the additional Dan pipeline to boost the water supply. The project was completed in the mid-60s.
Today, Mekorot is considered one of the world’s most technologically advanced water companies and a world leader in desalination, water reclamation, water project engineering, water safety, water security and water quality. Its all-important task is formulating and implementing the country’s national water policy.
Over the past 12 months, Mekorot has embarked on a number of major projects, including the construction of a fifth pipeline to Jerusalem…
…construction of the desalination facility in Ashdod with a capacity of 100 million cubic meters a year and linking of the desalination facilities along the coastline — such as the world’s largest such plant at Ashkelon, pictured here — with the national water system…
…plus other projects aimed at increasing the supply of water, for example, cloud seeding in the winter months. Mekorot has engaged in “rain-enhancement” for over 45 years and has managed to increase the annual rainfall in the Sea of Galilee catchment by 13%-18%.
Mekorot facilities have visitors centers with guided tours. As for the archive, it isn’t presently online but give them time. And, given their technological edge, it will be amazing to think of what pictures Mekorot will release when Tel Aviv’s 200th rolls along.
Foto Friday – A Zalul Look at Water
Filed under: Art, Environment, Foto Friday, General, Life
Israeli NGO Zalul Environmental Association is a nonprofit committed to protecting and maintaining clean, clear water along Israel’s rivers and shorelines.
Shay Tal – “Goin’ in” – Dolphinarium Beach, Tel Aviv
In time for Tu b’Shvat, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the coming of spring, Zalul has launched a photo competition. The results are nothing short of impressive:
Orit Zisman – “Jellyfish” – Tel Aviv
The theme of the contest is “Mayim Chaim” (”Water of Life”), celebrating that most precious natural resource, water, which Zalul points out is the source of life not just for trees, but for all living things.
Ben Hadar – “Holy Water” – Greek Orthodox Church, Nazareth
As Zalul sees it, “Tu B’Shvat is the “New Year of the Trees” in the Jewish tradition. However, in modern times it has been reinterpreted as the Jewish Earth Day. Each year, Jews around the world come together to celebrate the holiday by planting trees, cleaning beaches, and participating in other acts of “Tikkun Olam” (repairing the world).”
Asaf Shal – “Water love”
And there are prizes for the top three photos! The first place winner will receive a jacket from Columbia Sportswear; a Billabong beach kit including a backpack, inflatable pillow, beach mat, and a drink cozy as well as a hat and t-shirt from Zalul. What are you waiting for, shutterbugs? Take a look at their Flickr page, go out this weekend and start snapping!
Amir Levon – “Raft” – Green Beach, Eilat
The competition closes on on February 8, 2009 (until 23:00) and full details are available at the Zalul website.
First rains
It was the first rain yesterday. In Israel we take our rain seriously. My children were out there quick as a flash, dancing around the garden as if…, well as if they hadn’t seen rain for six months.
Their education in water conservation was immediately apparent. Every container they could find was pressed into use catching raindrops and run off water from the roof. When the rain stopped they began diligently watering all the pots.
It may have been short, and it was definitely filthy (the first rain always leaves you wiping down your windows, car, garden furniture, and the floor, if you unluckily left your window open), but yesterday’s rain was a welcome sight for everyone.
Last year’s dry, warm winter compounded three previous years of drought, leaving Israel facing its worst water crisis in years.
With the red line of the Galilee – Israel’s main reservoir of natural water – already breached, pumping looks as if its set to reach the black line, beyond which point many believe the damage to the lake is irreversible.
With the government seemingly doing little to reverse the crisis – even water rates haven’t gone up in price – we desperately need rain this year, and many will be hoping that Saturday’s early shower will be an indication of a rainy winter to come. Around Jerusalem at least, up to half an inch fell yesterday, while in Tel Aviv and other areas of the country, the rain was fairly light and drizzly, allowing the parched earth to absorb some of the run off.
No forecasters are willing to give any predictions of rainfall this winter, but the rain did set in motion one important yearly tradition, known and dreaded by parents – mostly mothers – everywhere: the autumn switch to winter clothes, an exhausting job that involves trailing through the dark recesses of children’s wardrobes, and boxes stashed under the bed.
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