israel environment bulletin 2006 vol 31

8/14/2019 Israel Environment Bulletin 2006 Vol 31

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volume 3

Ministry of Environmenta l Protec tion

Sta te of Israe lMinistry of Environm ental Protec tion

ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN

Cove r Photo :Lake Kinne ret – Sea of G alilee

ConstructionandDemolitionWaste

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www.environment.gov.il

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Octobe

2006

AyalonPark



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Dear Reader:

Volume 31 of Israel Environm

Bulletin is being published

the aftermath of the recwar in Israel’s North. In fu

months, Israel will invest m

efforts to rehabilitate bur

out forests, dispose of asbe

waste and treat the h

heaps of construction and demolition waste that h

accumulated due to rocket hits.

The determination to press forward has led to n

projects, many of which will focus on the area hard

hit by the recent war – the North. Thus, a cleanlin

campaign will be inaugurated in Lake Kinneret, the of Galilee, during the upcoming Jewish holiday sea

and top priority will be focused on the treatment a

recycling of construction and demolition waste, not

in the North but throughout the country. At the sa

time plans for preserving large expanses of open spa

for the benefit of the public are continuing – whe

an initiative to establish a biosphere region in an 18

hectare area in Ramat Menashe between Haifa and

Aviv or advancement of plans for the Ayalon Park in

area spanning 800 hectares just south of Tel Aviv.

The past few months have also seen some major chan

in the ministry: the appointment of Mr. Gideon Ezra

the new minister and Shai Avital as the new dire

general and a change in the very name of the min

The new name, Ministry of Environmental Protectio

meant to reflect the urgent need to actively protect

environment in Israel.

As Israel readies to welcome the Jewish New Year, we

only hope that this year will usher in better times of pe

and wellbeing for our people and our environmen

always, we invite our readers to stay informed ab

environmental developments in Israel by visiting our En

website – www.environment.gov.il/english.

Shoshana Gabb

Editor

From the Minister of Environmental Protection, Mr. Gideon EzraMinister Gideon Ezra shares his thoughts on environmental challengesand priorities.

First Look

News in brief about a diversity of environmental issues.

Cover photo: A view of Lake Kinneret - Sea of GalileeBack cover photo: Motti SelaPhotos: Ronen Alkalay, Ayelet Arad, Eitan Aram, Amir Balaban, Clean Up Israel,Yoav Hagoel, Ilan Malester, Nature and Parks Authority, Galia Pasternak, Eyal Shani,Motti Sela, Liron Shapira, Edna Shaviv, Na’ama Tessler, Gil Vaadia, Eyal Yaffe, RoiZini, Elad Zohar

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Production: Publications and Information Unit

Ministry of Environmental Protection

Targeting Construction and Demolition Waste: A Top Priority

New initiatives to rid open spaces of construction waste andtransform this waste from nuisance to resource.

Israel Launches Green Building Standard

A look at Israel Standard 5281 for buildings with reducedenvironmental impact.

Readying for Euro 4

Euro 4 standards will come into effect for heavy dieselvehicles in October 2006.

Entering the Carbon Market: CDM Projects in Israel

Fourteen projects, expected to deliver 1.9 million tons ofCERS, have been approved by Israel’s Designated National

Authority for the CDM.

Adapting to Climate Change in Israel

Towards the initiation of a national research and actionprogram on vulnerability and adaptation to climatechange.

Moving Ahead on the Ayalon Park

Establishment of a government company should advanceplans for this major metropolitan park.

Biosphere Region on the Way

An initiative to transform the Ramat Menashe area,between Haifa and Tel Aviv, into the Central Park of Israel.

Planning for Development and Conservation in the 21st

Century

National Plan 35 addresses development needs whilepromoting open space protection.

Abating Noise from Ben-Gurion Airport

A look at measures to reduce aircraft noise from Israel’smain airport.

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International Cooperation – "Deserts and Desertification

– Challenges and Opportunities"An international conference in Israel will highlight the challengesand opportunities inherent in drylands.

With a Face to the Public – Focus on Clean Up IsraelSimple actions by simple people are what Clean Up Israel is allabout.



From the Minister of Environmental Protection:Mr. Gideon Ezra

What are your initial impressions of the Ministry

of Environmental Protection?

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has gone

a long way in promoting the subjects under its

responsibility.

Fifty eight years ago we founded a state – it was

not easy to contend with a population that dou-

bles itself at an impressive rate, it was not easy to

establish an economy, infrastructures, elementary

operational systems, and all within a reality of

continuing warfare. Environmental protection is-

sues were not top priority issues for our pioneers

– they were more concerned with fortifying the

sovereignty of the state. Today, we have reached

a stage where relinquishing environmental issues

is tantamount to relinquishing our future and that

of future generations. The road we must take to

reach our goal is long and arduous – but this is a

fascinating area and I am happy to have been

granted the opportunity to stand at the head ofa system which will determine, in many ways, the

future of us all.

In June 2005, the Israel Cabinet approved your

request to change the name of the ministry to

the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Why

the change in name?

In a country as small as Israel, we must invest all

of our efforts in protecting the environment so

that it can continue to serve present and future

generations. This has to take the form of "active

protection." At the request of the country’s green

organizations, I asked for a change in name that

would express, more powerfully, the importancethat we give to the active protection of the envi-

ronment not only for the sake of the present but

for the sake of the future. The change in name

reflects our perception of the ministry’s aims: the

environment in Israel needs protection and we

intend to do this day by day, hour by hour.

What are the main subjects you would like to

promote during your tenure as minister?

There are many and diverse subjects that I would

like to promote. Some of the priorities include

tackling such subjects as air pollution which has

become a national scourge, treatment of Israel’s

rivers – true treasures that have been badly dam-

aged in past years, solid waste and recycling and,

of course, treatment of hazardous substances.

Above all else, environmental legislation and

enforcement are the most important tool at our

disposal and I will put special emphasis on them.

But the most important subject is education for

the protection of the environment. In my opinion,

it is incumbent upon us to make every effort to

ensure that environmental studies are officially

recognized at every level, beginning with kinder-

garten and ending in high school and university.

This is the key that will allow us to effect a real

change in the quality of our environment.

What are your expectations of the government

and the Knesset with regard to environmental

subjects?

I am sure that the current government is a "green

government," a government which sees the treat-

ment of environmental issues as an important tar-

get. The issues with which we are concerned at the

Ministry of Environmental Protection relate to most

of the other ministries so that the advancement

of environmental subjects very much depends

on cooperation among the ministries. Based on

my recognition of the current members of the

government, the results will be significant.

Israel has just emerged from a devastating war

in its North. Would you like to comment on the

issue of war and the environment?

War is the foremost enemy of the environment,

causing damage to all sides, including those not

even involved. It is our obligation as environmen-

talists to do our utmost to prevent needless wars

In a countryas small as

Israel, we mustinvest all ofour efforts in

protecting theenvironmentso that it cancontinue to

serve presentand future

generations.

MMr. Gideon Ezra was sworn in as Israel’s Ministerof Environmental Protection on May 4, 2006

and has served as Acting EnvironmentalProtection Minister since January 2006.

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ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 31

4

and struggles. The issue of environmental protec-

tion best lends itself to initiating talks even among

bodies which were previously involved in wars.

Environmental agencies worldwide have much

to learn from one another. The cross fertilization of

ideas – on environmental laws and other issues – isof top importance. The Ministry of Environmental

Protection is most interested in the feedback and

suggestions of other environmental agencies and

I hope the day will soon come when we can

publish a joint Bulletin with all of our neighboring

states.

What is your central message to the residents

of Israel at this junction?

For years, we have longed for a country of our

own, for a State of Israel. We saw many casual-

ties in the difficult struggle for the fulfillment ofour rights to this land. But we have not really

protected this small piece of land – we litter our

environment and we destroy nature, at times for

no justifiable reason. We must protect this land for

it is our homeland. The protection of nature, open

spaces and the environment is the protection of

our homeland.

On July 17, 2006, the Israel Cabinet approved

the appointment of Major General (Reserves)Shai Avital as director-general of the Ministry

of Environmental Protection. Shai Avital pre-

viously served as a commander of several

army units during his long service in the Israel

Defense Forces.

Shai Avital:New Director

General of

the Ministry of

Environmental

Protection

We are intent on protecting Israel’s unique natural resources,which are the heritage of all of the world’s people and religions

– including Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee), the Jordan River

and the Dead Sea. We are seeking ways to rehabilitate these

precious sources under a reality of water scarcity, in which we

continue to supply water to Jordan and to the Palestinian Author-

ity as well. We are determined to do our utmost to protect these

sites. We will focus on cleanliness in our upcoming campaign to

clean up the Kinneret, and in the future, we will do our utmost

to allow water to flow once again in the Jordan River and to

rehabilitate the shrinking Dead Sea.

On Israel’swater

sources:

Israel generates more than 7 million tons of construction and

demolition waste, of which only about 15% find their way to

landfills and the rest defile the landscape of our country, caus-

ing health and environmental damages. We are relating to this

subject according to the "polluter pays" principle. The process

of discovering polluters and bringing them to justice is not easy,

and can take years. As part of our efforts, we have been forced

to bring criminal charges against mayors who shirked their re-

sponsibilities and allowed construction and demolition waste to

be illegally disposed in open spaces. We are now looking for

new ways to deal with the problem – tackling issues related to

landfilling costs, transport distances to landfills, recycling, and

cleanup of areas in which construction and demolition waste

has accumulated.

Onconstruction

anddemolition

waste:

Photo: Eyal Yaffe

Photo: Eitam Aram



5

The Environmental Costsof War –

Summer 2006

A special report issued by the Chief Scientist of

the Ministry of Environmental Protection on the

environmental damages of the recent war in

Israel’s North reveals the following:

Environmental damages:more than 1200 square

kilometers of planted forests and 4000 square kil-

ometers of natural scrubland burned, destruction

of flora and fauna, 12,000 buildings hit by rock-

ets generating thousands of tons of construction

waste, 20,000 square meters of asbestos structures

damaged, damages to wastewater treatment

facilities and hazardous substances storage con-tainers.Environmental/economic costs: more than 20

million shekels (about $4.6 million) for extinguish-

ing some 450 fires; between 5.15 million shekels

(minimum) to 36.3 million shekels (maximum) for

crushing and landfilling hundreds of thousands

of tons of construction and demolition waste;

tens of thousands of shekels for treating asbes-

tos structures destroyed by rocket hits, including

professional removal and disposal.

"Going for Cleanliness– It’s Our Kinneret"

Cleaning up Lake Kinneret, the Sea of Galilee,

Israel’s only natural freshwater lake, is the next

target of the Ministry of Environmental Protection

within the framework of its comprehensive cam-

paign to clean up the country. Under the slogan

"Going for Cleanliness – It’s Our Kinneret," plans

are being drafted to launch the project during

the upcoming holiday season in Israel, coinciding

with the beginning of the Jewish New Year.

Minister Gideon Ezra: "The shores of Lake Kin-

neret are a national asset. The pollution of these

beaches due to neglect is unacceptable. One

million people visit these beaches each year

and expect to find them clean. I intend to do

everything necessary to ensure that the Kinneret

shores will indeed be clean and worthy of the

general public."The multi-annual Kinneret Clean Coast project,

which will include coastal cleanups, education

and information, and inspection and enforce-

ment, is targeted at cleaning up the Kinneret’s

open natural coastlines – some 23 kilometers out

of the total coastline of 55 kilometers.

FIRST LOOK

Litter left behind

on Kinneret coasts

Photo: Elad Zohar

Kinar coast

on Lake Kinneret

Photo: Ilan Malester




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Marine TurtlesReleased to Sea

With the conclusion of the nesting season

for marine turtles, which saw an impres-

sive number of marine turtle eggs laid

along Israel’s Mediterranean coast, the

new hatchlings were released to sea in

the summer of 2006. This year’s release is

part of a national program for the pro-

tection of endangered marine turtles, in

which nests discovered during the nest-

ing season by rangers of the Israel Nature

and Parks Authority are relocated to a

hatchery. The rangers, accompanied by

volunteers of the Ministry of Environmental

Protection and other enforcement bod-

ies, visit the hatchery each morning to

release the new hatchlings to sea.

Reading Power PlantConverted to Natural Ga

Tel Aviv’s Reading power plant was conve

to natural gas during a ceremony, attended

the Minister of Environmental Protection and

ister of Infrastructures, on July 3, 2006. Minister

stated: "The transfer to gas is cause for celebra

for the residents of Tel Aviv and its metropo

area, but it is only the beginning. It is necessa

act quickly and seriously to solve the air pollu

problem in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area wh

for the most part, originates in the huge numb

cars entering the city center on a daily basi

The Reading power station produces about

MW of electricity or about 5% of the total prod

tion of the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC). It is

second IEC plant to run on natural gas, afte

Eshkol Power Plant in Ashdod.

Minister Ezra with marine turtles.

Photo: Nature and Parks Authority

Reading power plant.




7

the option of choosing to drive hybrid vehicles

available in Israel. In a letter to Dalia Itzik, Minister

Ezra stated: "You are spearheading a process in

which we, as public representatives, can set a

personal example in a subject as important as

the protection of the environment. I believe thatothers will opt for the solution of "clean" vehicles

and I thank you for the speed and seriousness

with which you addressed this subject."

30 Experts to Check AirPollution in Haifa

Minister Gideon Ezra has initiated the establish-

ment of a professional team to assess air pollution

in Haifa Bay and its impact on public health. The

team is to present its conclusions and operativerecommendations for action on abating air pol-

lution in the near future. The 30 member team

includes experts in atmospheric sciences, health

and chemical engineering and is coordinated

by the Neaman Institute for Advanced Scientific

and Technological Research. Prof. Yoram Avnime-

lech, who served as the first Chief Scientist in the

Ministry of Environmental Protection, heads the

team. Dr. Peter Preuss, Director of the National

Center for Environmental Assessment in the US

Environmental Protection Agency voluntarily as-

sisted the committee in his field of expertise inearly September 2006.

25 Schools CertifiedGreen

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and

the Ministry of Education granted Green Schoolcertification to 25 schools in a June 8, 2006 cer-

emony.

The project, initiated some three years ago, is de-

signed to encourage schools, with the coopera-

tion of administration, students, parents and com-

munity, not just to teach environmental subjects

but to act in a sustainable manner. Only those

schools which meet three criteria – integration of

environmental subjects in the curriculum, rational

use of resources and contribution to the commu-

nity - are eligible for Green School certification.

New Regulations on NoiseRestrictions in Banquet

Halls and Gardens

New regulations on restricting noise in banquet

halls and gardens were promulgated on June

14, 2006. According to the regulations, the maxi-

mum noise level in the seating area of the guests

during events will be 85 decibels. The regulations

establish the physical means necessary to assure

compliance. If noise levels exceed 85 decibels,a warning light, installed in the hall, will flicker for

thirty seconds, followed by a cut in electricity sup-

ply to the amplifier system in the hall.Dr. Stelian Ghelberg, director of the Noise Abate-

ment and Radiation Safety Division, has stated:

"Promulgation of the regulations is a breakthrough

in protecting the health of the public, in essence

a "captive audience" exposed to excessively high

noise levels, as well as in protecting sensitive popu-

lations such as the elderly and children.

Knesset Members May

Drive Hybrid Vehicles

Speaker of the Knesset Dalia Itzik has complied

with a request of Environmental Protection Minister

Gideon Ezra to provide Knesset Members with




Reducing airpollution fromtransportationand industrial

sources

Catalyzingeconomic

growth andnational

interests

Improving theenvironment

and presevingopen spaces

8

Treating municipal, industrialand agricultural waste

crushing and treatment of construction w

were inaugurated in Israel’s central region,

operational since August 2005 in Bareket and

second operational since January 2006 in Hi

The plants are expected to reach a recyccapacity of 100,000 tons per year and 150,000

per year, respectively. Other plants are alre

operational in other parts of the country

Ashkelon, Ramat Zvi in the Beit She’an Valley

Dudaim in the south, complemented by mo

on-site facilities throughout the country.

Working on Solutions

Finding a comprehensive solution to the proble

construction waste is not easy, largely becaus

the large number of stakeholders involved in e

part of the chain, including waste genera

waste transporters, waste contractors and lo

authorities. What’s more, basic infrastructure

collection, transport and transfer are inadequ

and vital parts of the system are unregulate

Yet, despite the difficulties, stakeholders bel

that the time is ripe for market forces to play t

part in ridding the country of unsightly heapconstruction waste and promoting environm

friendly solutions. Building contractors

beginning to discover the economic poten

inherent in using recycled aggregates f

construction waste as fill in construction or

road base, and efforts have been initiated

formulate appropriate standards.

Local authorities, too, should be intereste

solving the problem. Not only does such wa

detract from the aesthetic appearance of c

and their environs, but it takes up valuable la

with an economic value for real estate purpo

It is in the interest of local authorities to m

derelict land available for building and to cl

up these spaces.

Upgrading the Role of Local Authorities

Local authorities should play a key role

coordinating the safe disposal and treatm

Clean Coast Project:Facts And Figures

Treatingmunicipal,

industrial andagricultural

wasteGrowing piles of construction waste along

roadsides and open spaces are a grim reality

in Israel. Their association with landscape blightand environmental problems is indisputable. Yet,

to date, despite a three year old government

decision to regulate the treatment of construction

waste, little has been done to solve the problem.

Out of some 7.5 tons of construction waste thatare generated in Israel each year, only 1.5 million

reach authorized landfills. Yet the problem cannot

be solved by landfilling alone. Israel does nothave sufficient land resources to absorb the ever

growing amounts of dry waste that are generated

annually. Steps are urgently needed to turn

construction waste from nuisance to resource.

Over the past year alone, two plants for the

Targeting Construction andDemolition Waste: a Top Priorit

Composition of Waste Generated on

Residential Construction Sites

A research study commissioned by the

Ministry of Environmental Protection and

conducted by Dr. Hadassah Baum and Dr.

Amnon Katz of the Technion – Israel Institute

of Technology in 2004 has found:

• Construction waste generated on resi-

dential construction sites includes such

materials as concrete, iron, wood, bricks,

tiles, plastic and paper.

• Non-inert materials, such as plastic, alu-

minum and gypsum, constitute some

36% of the waste.

• Nearly two thirds of the waste may be

recycled, consisting of 12% paper, 8%

iron and 44% inert materials.

• Residential building generates an esti-

mated 20 tons of waste for each 100

square meters of built space.

TTransforming construction waste from

nuisance to resource is at the top of the

ministry’s "to do" list



9

of construction waste – but they don’t. While

municipalities are legally bound to collect municipal

solid waste, they are not obligated to dispose and

treat construction and demolition waste.

To overcome this barrier, the following amendments

to planning and building regulations have been

promulgated:

• Local planning and building

committees must require buildingpermit holders to transfer their waste

to an authorized site for disposal.

• Contractors applying for a

building permit must prove to localplanning committees that they

have contacted an authorized

construction waste landfill for the

purpose of disposing of all of the

waste expected to be generated

by the project.

• Occupancy permits for building

must not be issued until proof is

provided that all of the waste

stipulated in the building permit

was transferred to an authorized

site.Yet, despite the regulations, local

planning committees have largely

continued to issue building permits

without addressing the problem of

construction and demolition waste.

And when it comes to small homerenovations, building permits are not

required at all.

The Model Bylaw for the Disposal of Dry Waste

To help address the problem, the Ministry

of Environmental Protection has drafted a

model bylaw on the disposal of construction

and demolition waste which is currently being

"marketed" to local authorities. The bylaw relates

to the obligations and powers of local authorities

in establishing both the necessary infrastructures

and the necessary systems for supervision and

control including permits and fees.

In parallel, the possibility of having municipalities

publish tenders for authorized transporters ofconstruction waste that will serve the city is being

examined. Today, this is one of the weakest links in

the chain leading from generation to disposal since

the transport sector is inadequately regulated.

The goal is to select, by tender, a number of

official municipal transporters, thereby also giving

residents who renovate their homes the option of

choosing an official transporter, at a lower priceand with the assurance that the waste collected

will indeed reach an authorized site.

The timeis ripe for

market forcesto play their

part in riddingthe countryof unsightly

heaps ofconstructionwaste andpromoting

environment-friendly

solutions.

What is the Ministry of Environmental

Protection Doing to Effect a Change?

• Promoting the establishment of standards

for recycled construction waste through

the Standards Institution of Israel;• Advancing legislative changes: an

amendment to the Maintenance of

Cleanliness Law imposing responsibil-

ity on local authorities for the transport

and disposal of construction waste and

a model municipal bylaw on the disposal

of dry waste;

• Initiating a pilot project, with the par-

ticipation of all stakeholders, based on

the Environmental Problem Solving Ap-

proach;

• Stepping up enforcement: catching of-fenders "in the act," launching investiga-

tions, filing criminal charges and, at times,

seizing offending vehicles to be used as

evidence during trials.

• Providing financial support to local au-

thorities for planning and establishing

infrastructures for dry waste: in 2005, 11

million shekels in financial aid were al-

located to about 45 local authorities.

• Identifying abandoned quarries which

may be used for the disposal of con-

struction waste, in cooperation withthe Quarry Rehabilitation Fund and the

Israel Lands Administration. Once filled

and rehabilitated, the quarries may be

transformed into parks for the benefit of

the population.

• Issuing warnings and Cleanup Orders

for the clean up of open spaces to the

owners of land or to the polluters them-

selves. If not implemented, a contrac-

tor is hired and the owner or polluter is

charged double the expenses.

Photos top to bottom:

Ilan Malester,

Ayelet Arad,

Galia Pasternak





sources

Catalyzingeconomic

growth andnational

interests



10

Treatingmunicipal,


waste

What has changed for

the better since the

government decision of

2003 to regulate the treatment of construction

and demolition waste?

The issue of construction and demolitionwaste is the realm of responsibility of numerous

stakeholders, including the key players in the field

of building and development in Israel – the Ministry

of the Interior, local planning authorities, the

Ministries of Construction and Housing, Transport

and Defense, and the Israel Lands Administration.

Three years ago, these bodies were not sufficiently

aware of the magnitude and consequences of

the problem. Today, both government ministries

and agencies and local authorities are beginning

to recognize the high price that they are paying

– environmentally and economically. The waste

which finds its way to open spaces and roadsides

affects more than our environment and our health

– it impacts on land values, hurts tourism and

harms our economy.

What has changed to make you more

optimistic about the possibilities of

improvement today?

As far as the Solid Waste Division is concerned,

this is our greatest challenge. We succeeded in

regulating the area of municipal waste. Now

we must turn all of our efforts to the problem of

construction waste.

We are seeing progress. Firstly, within the Ministry

of Environmental Protection, the subject has been

upgraded in priority. In fact Minister Gideon Ezra has

identified this as the highest priority. Secondly, local

authorities are much more aware of the seriousness

of the problem and are ready to cooperate.Thirdly, our regional offices, in cooperation with the

Enforcement Coordination Division, have issued

hundreds of cleanup warnings in recent years,

which have both raised awareness and made adifference in the field. When this was not enough,

warnings were followed up by cleanup orders. In

cases where cleanup orders were ignored, we

ourselves undertook the cleanups and charged

the municipalities double the sum, as per the

provisions of the law.

It’s important to mention that the Green Police

has played a critical role in discovering offendersin the very act of dumping construction waste

in prohibited areas, collecting evidence, seizing

dump trucks when necessary as part of the

evidence gathering process, and issuing cleanup

warnings and orders.

What else is being done to bring about a

solution to the problem?

We are sitting with local authorities to help them

implement a comprehensive solution – from the

level of local planning authorities which mustensure that building and occupancy permits are

not issued until solutions to construction waste

are implemented to the level of transporters of

construction waste which must be more strictly

regulated. Local authorities are not familiar with

the legal tools which are available to them to

tackle the problem. We are helping by providing

them with guidelines on such tools as licensing and

permit systems and fees for different aspects of the

treatment of dry waste. Once rules and regulations

are set in bylaws, and are accompanied by fees

and fines, progress would be possible.

At the same time, we are continuing to promote

the establishment of infrastructures for crushing

construction and demolition waste. The huge

amounts of construction waste which were

generated in the North following the recent war

are catalyzing the process.

Ilan Nissim Director,

Solid Waste Division

Treating municipal, industrialand agricultural waste Solving

the Problem of Constructionand Demolition Waste



11

Applying the Environmental Problem Solving

Approach to Construction Waste

To further expedite a solution, a pilot project, based

on the Environmental Problem Solving Approach,

has been initiated by three departments in the

Ministry of Environmental Protection (Solid Waste,

Business Licensing and Enforcement Coordination)

along with regional solid waste coordinators. The

main aims of the project, which will be conductedin three cities – Modi’in, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv,

with additional cities such as Haifa, Rehovot,

Ramat Gan and Bat Yam showing an interest

as well, are to regulate the work of renovators

and building contractors and to assure that they

comply with business licensing conditions.

Top Priority to Construction Waste

Soon after entering the office, Environmental

Protection Minister Gideon Ezra declared his

intention to place the subject of construction

and demolition waste at the top of his agenda:"I intend to spearhead a comprehensive program

that will integrate greater allocations of funds for

enforcement, on the one hand, and cooperation

with local authorities and other government

ministries in preparing an immediate work plan,

on the other hand."

Clearly, a comprehensive approach is vital in order

to deal with the complex problems associated

with the generation, disposal, transport, recycling

and reuse of construction waste. As obstacles are

overcome, chances are good that a market for

recycled construction waste can be developedfor the good of both the environment and the

economy.

Illegal dumping of dry waste is one of the major problems of solid wastemanagement in Israel, largely because generators of dry waste are often

tempted to seek "free" ways to dump their waste.

The Green Police of the Ministry of Environmental Protection is responsible for

the bulk of inspection and investigation activities. When an environmental

nuisance is discovered and the identity of the owner of the waste or of

the land is known, an enforcement procedure is initiated – from calls and

letters, to public hearings, to cleanup orders (under the Maintenance of

Cleanliness Law 1984). Yet the procedure is cumbersome and may take up

to six years: from finding evidence on the origin of the waste, to identifying

the offender, to opening a criminal case, etc. Another possibility is to trace

the owner of the land and order him to clean it up, a procedure that, if

contested, can lead to a lengthy trial.

Over the past five years, criminal charges were filed against about 15

out of the 30 large waste transporters working in the Haifa district, which

encompasses 970 km2 and a population of one million. Enforcement was

targeted at every pile of waste larger than 40 m3 and criminal investigations

were initiated against mayors for illegal waste dumping. Yet, the problem

has not disappeared.

On September 2004, a new step was initiated – truck seizure. This is based

on a provision in the Penal Law, which permits the seizure of the tool used

to commit an offense until trial and, in case of conviction, may allow this

tool to become state property. The truck is seized for 30-40 days and the

owner pays storage fees, or, if determined to release the truck, bail. Truckseizure is only possible if a member of the Israel Police (blue-uniformed

police office) is present. As cooperation is good between the green and

blue police in the Haifa district, shared supervisions were held for the

purpose of discovering waste offenders. In the past year alone, eleven

trucks were seized and transferred to state custody pending trial.

The impact of this experiment is significant, resulting in:

• Less administrative enforcement – in the first seven months of 2006, we

opened 8 cases of illegal dumping in comparison to the parallel period

in 2004 when 22 cases were opened – a drop of 60%.

• 30% more dry waste reaching landfills.

• Less waste in open fields.

The deterrent effect of this procedure is evident in the attitude of waste

transporters. While previously they knew that a criminal investigation and

trial could take years and result in a fine, today they know that if they

illegally dispose their waste, they risk losing their trucks and an identical

or larger fine in just 30 days. While this is not the final solution, the new

technique has been shown to save time and increase deterrence.

Truck Seizure as a Tool forStopping Illegal Dumping:

Case Study in the Haifa DistrictShai Ilan and Abed Mahamid

Photo: Eitan Aram





sources

Catalyzingeconomic

growth andnational

interests



12

Treatingmunicipal,


waste

There’s good news and bad news. The bad

news is that buildings are major consumers of

energy (reaching some 40% of total energy

consumption in some countries), water and

raw materials and significant generators of

greenhouse gas emissions and waste. The good

news is that green building is helping to overcome

these problems. In Israel, and worldwide, green

building initiatives are helping to provide

higher quality of life and the environment to

residents, while reducing the building's negative

environmental impact. When properly run,

green buildings, also known as sustainable

buildings, will conserve natural resources and

reduce waste, cut down operational costs

and improve the health and well-being of

residents, while providing a safer and more

effective living and working environment.

A Green Building Standard for IsraelWhen setting out to draft its own green building

standard, based on international experience, Israel

recognized that "green building" is a multidisciplinary

subject, which is widely dispersed among acade

governmental, institutional and private framew

Clearly, the multiplicity of subjects inherent in the

concept of green or sustainable building – inclu

energy, water and other environmental subj– necessitated close cooperation and coordina

among such professionals as architects, engin

and environmental experts and the formulatio

uniform criteria, methodologies and review

classification mechanisms for "green buildin

This is how Israel Standard 5281 for buildings

reduced environmental impact (green buildi

was born.

Green Building Standard and Rating System

The green building standard, approved

November 2005, is a voluntary standard whis awarded to new or renovated residential

office buildings that comply with the requ

requirements and criteria. The standard

comprised of four chapters: energy, water, l

and other environmental subjects. A build

which meets the prerequisites in each chapter

accumulates the minimum number of credit p

in every environment-related sphere is elig

for "green building" certification. A cumula

score of 55-75 points entitles a building t

"green building" label, while a cumulative sc

of more than 75 points allows it to be certifie

an "outstanding green building."

Following are some specifics:

• Energy (29 points, of which 14 are thresh

conditions): The energy chapter has the m

points and therefore carries the most weig

includes a climatic review of the building an

Why Build Green in Israel?

• Households in Israel consume some 30%

of the total electricity production.

• Households in Israel consume about 12% of

the total electricity production for heating,

cooling and lighting.

• The commercial sector consumes some

30% of the total energy consumption,largely for heating, cooling and lighting.

• Israel generates some 7.5 million tons of

building waste per year.

• Households consume some 30% of the

total quantity of fresh water produced

each year.

Israel LaunchesGreen Building

StandardI Israel’s recently approved green building

standard offers environmental, social and

economic benefits


Weizmann Institute

of Science building.

Photo: Edna Shaviv

Natural lighting in Haifa courthouse.

Photo: Yehuda Olander



13

environs and calls for planning the building to provide thermal comfort

in all seasons of the year. It relates to such elements as orientation of

the building, use of passive techniques for heating, cooling and airflow, improvements of air conditioning/heating systems, use of natural

light and insulation and energy efficiency and conservation.

To comply with the energy chapter, it is also necessary to fulfill some

of the requirements set in the recent Standard 5282 on the energy

rating of residential buildings, especially with regard to insulation

and windows.

• Land (19 points, of which 8 are threshold conditions): This chapter

relates to such elements as average density of the building,

maximization of land use (both aboveground and underground),

land conservation and ground contamination.

• Water, wastewater and drainage (17 points, of which 5 are threshold

conditions): This chapter deals with the conservation of fresh water,

reuse and recycling of drainage and grey water, and preservation

of runoff from unpolluted areas.

• Other environmental subjects (27 points, of which 10 are threshold

conditions): This chapter relates to seven different subjects:

environmental management of the building process and of the

construction waste, air quality and ventilation, noise, radiation,

separation of solid waste into components, bicycle stands, and use

of "green label" materials and products.

• General Assessment: The person responsible for assessing compliance

with the provisions of the standard, both at the planning and

implementation stages, is authorized to grant additional credit points

for subjects that reduce adverse environmental impact but are not

included in the previous chapters. These may include roof gardens,

renewable energy systems and more.

Green Building: A "Win-Win" Situation

Green building is a true "win-win" situation. The standard will provide

developers with a marketing advantage and will serve as a measure

of the quality of the building for consumers. Studies show that green

Growth of Electricity Consumption by Sector

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

million kwh

Residential Consumption Public & Commercial Consumption Industr ial Consumption

Green Buildings in Israel

The principles underlying green building are not

new to Israeli scientists and researchers. Nearly all

of Israel’s academic institutions engage in differentaspects of research on the subject. Some prominent

examples include the National Building Research

Institute in the Technion-Israel Institute of Technol-

ogy and the Desert Architecture Unit of Ben-Gurion

University’s Desert Research Institute. In these and

other institutions, research findings are being trans-

lated into actual design projects in an effort to apply

accumulated expertise to specific problems.

The International Center for Desert Studies in Sde

Boker is one notable example of the application of

such "green building" principles as energy efficiency

and conservation through natural and innovative

techniques for heating, cooling and lighting. An-

other is the Environmental Sciences Building at the

Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot which was

planned in conjunction with a Technion expert in

climatic-energetic building, Prof. Edna Shaviv, and

includes 12 different technologies for electricity con-

servation.

Following the recent publication of the green build-

ing standard, four requests for a green building label

have already been submitted – for the Intel Corpo-

ration’s Research and Development Center in Haifa,

the offices of the Dan Region Association of Towns for

Sanitation, a private house in Israel’s south, and the

visitor center of the Yad Hanadiv Gardens in Zichron

Yaakov on the coastal plain, south of Haifa.

buildings can generate savings ranging from 20%-50%

of electricity and gas bills. According to Nir Kedmi of the

ministry’s Economic Division, investment in green building

should not necessarily be greater than in conventional

buildings since most of the effort is concentrated in

the planning stage, prior to actual building. Additional

investment, if any, should not amount to more than

one to two percent, and will certainly be recovered in

a reasonable amount of time, due to savings in energy

and water.

Source: Israel Electric Corporation




Treatingmunicipal,


waste

Catalyzingeconomic

growth andnational

interests



14


sources

How to determine acceptable limits for exhaust

emissions of vehicles? Israel’s policy is to com-

ply with European Union Directives which define

emission standards for vehicles sold in EU member

states. In fact, some 97% of all of the vehicles

comply with European directives and the other3% with American regulations.

Israel has made a decision to comply with Direc-

tive 70/220/EEC and its attendant amendments,

which introduce increasingly stringent standards

– with stages ranging from Euro 1 to Euro 5. The

Euro 4 standards, introduced in Europe in 2005,

will substantially reduce the levels of nitrogen

oxide gases and particulate matter emitted by

cars – with demands for nitrogen oxides stricter

by some 30% and particulates by some 80% com-

pared to Euro 3.

In Israel, the standard for new models of light ve-

hicles was adopted in January 2005 and since

January 2006 all new light vehicles are imported

according this standard. Heavy vehicles will be

subject to the standard beginning in October

2006. In Europe, new vehicles were subject to the

standard beginning in October 2005 and exis

vehicles beginning in October 2006.

How to comply with Euro 4?

Compliance with Euro 4 requires a combina

of advanced engine technologies and effec

systems for the treatment of exhaust gases

meet the standard, two technologies are a

able: Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) te

nology, which satisfies both Euro 4 and the fuEuro 5 standards, and Exhaust Gas Recircula

(EGR), which meets the Euro 4 standard only.

former reduces the particle matter at the

ment of combustion in the engine and use

catalytic converter and a urea-based solu

to transform nitrogen oxides passing through

exhaust system into nitrogen and water.

Gasoline (petrol) and diesel fuel also comp

with the requirements of Euro 4, which calls f

maximum diesel and gasoline sulfur content o

ppm and a reduction in aromatic hydrocarbfrom 42% to 35% in 2005. In this case, Israel actu

preceded the date set for Europe and redu

the sulfur content of its diesel fuel from 350 p

to 50 ppm since January 2004.

The problem, according to Avi Moshel, in cha

of vehicular emissions in the Environmental

BBeginning in October 1, 2006, all new diesel

vehicles will have to comply with stringent

Euro 4 standards

Readying for Euro 4

Reducing air pollution fromtransportation and industrial sources

Photo: Roi Zini

Photo: Ilan Maleste



15

tection Ministry, relates to the availability of both

urea and 10 ppm sulfur diesel fuel, a prerequisitefor reducing emissions from heavy diesel vehicles

to the level required by Euro 4. Adoption of SCRtechnology will require a regular supply of urea.

Compliance with EGR will require the introductionof even cleaner fuel, with a sulfur content of 10ppm or less. Problems related to the supply of both

very low sulfur diesel fuel and urea have delayed

the implementation of Euro 4 for heavy vehiclesby a year, although, as stated, the delay relatesonly to new models – which are a minority of themodels in use in Israel.

In order to facilitate the establishment of the nec-

essary infrastructure in gas stations, an intermin-isterial coordination team was set up includingrepresentatives of the relevant government min-istries – Transport, Environmental Protection andInfrastructure, the Association of Car Importers, the

oil refineries, gas stations and the urea importer.Its aim: to ensure availability of the urea additiveand of the 10 ppm sulfur diesel fuel.

As of October 2006, the Ministry of Transport willrequire importers of diesel vehicles, above 3.5 tons,

to comply with Euro 4 standards, with some ease-

ments for multistage assembly vehicles, for which

the standard will come into effect in April 2007.

And as for the future, light vehicles equipped withdirect fuel injection will be required to use gasoline

with a 10 ppm sulfur content, leading to a decision

by Israel to reduce the sulfur content in 98 octane

gasoline to 10 ppm by October 2006.

Compliance with Euro 4 standards, with its attend-

ant reduction in vehicular pollutant emissions, isexpected to gradually reduce pollutant emissions

from transportation sources. At the same time,however, the continuous increase in Israel’s ve-hicle fleet and number of kilometers traveled will

mitigate the efficiency of this reduction, requir-ing complementary steps within the frameworkof transportation policy. Such steps should ensure

transportation efficiency and respond to the needs

of the population and economic development,on the one hand, along with low pollution andreduced adverse impacts on the health of thepopulation, on the other hand.

Motor Vehicles in Israel

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

199219911990 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

1,015 1,0751,176 1,261

1,3731,459

1,543 1,6171,675

1,7301,831 1,915 1,960 1,982

2,038

NOx Emissions from Vehicles by Fuel

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

tons

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Gasoline

Diesel

Stricter Emission Testing during Annual Car Registration

As of March 27, 2006, all gas-powered vehicles in Israel,

beginning with 1995 models, are undergoing more stringent

air pollution checks within the framework of the annual car

registration test. The new test is significantly different from its

predecessor and calls for concentration measurements of

pollutant emissions from gasoline vehicles at higher engine

speeds of at least 2000 rpm.

The new emission test checks the roadworthiness of the vehicle

and its air pollution control systems, especially the catalytic

converter and the oxygen sensor. It checks CO content andlambda value (the air/fuel ratio injected to the motor).

The new requirements are based on the provisions of European

Council Directive EC 96/96 on the approximation of the laws

of the member states relating to roadworthiness tests for motor

vehicles.

Source: Israel Central Bureau of Statistics




Treatingmunicipal,


waste

Catalyzingeconomic

growth andnational

interests



16


sourcesMuch has happened since Israel first established

its Designated National Authority (DNA) for the

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in 2004.Interest in CDM projects has risen, consultancies

specializing in CDM services were established and

fourteen projects were presented to the DNA for

approval.

Israel’s entry into the global carbon market

was highlighted in a May 2006 conference on

the CDM and emissions trading as means of

financing greenhouse gas reduction projects.

The conference organized by Israel’s DNA

featured presentations by representatives of

the Ministry of Environmental Protection and of

companies specializing in the development andimplementation of CDM projects.

Although never glossing over the bureaucratic and

financial complexities that are part and parcel

of the required procedures for preparing CDM

projects, conference participants emphasized

the unique possibilities that this mechanism offers

for turning greenhouse gas reduction projects into

attractive economic opportunities. According to

the Kyoto Protocol, developed countries have the

possibility to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions,

inter alia , through the purchase of carbon credits

from developing countries. Since Israel is classifiedas a developing country under the Kyoto Protocol,

entrepreneurs who implement emissions reduction

projects in Israel will be able to sell their carbon

emissions credits to developed countries.

According to the head of the Air Quality Division

in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ms.

Shuli Nezer, greenhouse gas emissions in Israel

currently exceed 80 million tons per year,

80% of the emissions generated by the ene

and transportation sectors. Therefore, Ms. N

utilized the conference to urge industrial pl

and entrepreneurs to identify CDM projecIsrael so as to advance the reduction of pollu

emissions and to earn benefits in terms of reven

generated from the sale of certified reduc

credits (CERs). "Within the framework of discuss

on the Kyoto Protocol’s second commitm

period (2013 and beyond), the State of Israel

find itself obligated to comply with some kin

emission target; therefore, anyone entering

market in advance of this date only stand

profit," she added.

Why Israel?

Israel, which is classified as a non-Annex I cou

under the Climate Change Convention, prov

an especially attractive option for CDM proj

for a wide variety of reasons, including:

• Technological and scientific expertise, in

ding wide experience in the field of "cle

technologies.


Entering the Carbon

Market: CDMProjects in IsraelCDM Projects Worldwide

• More than 1000 CDM projects in the pip

line

• More than 1.2 billion tons expected CE

by the end of 2012

• 278 projects registered by September2006

• 76 projects requesting registration by Se

tember 1, 2006

• 640 million tons of expected CERs fro

registered and nearly registered proje

by the end of 2012

IIsrael’s entry into the carbon market promises

a winning combination: greenhouse gas

reductions and revenues



17

• Open access to a wide range of environmental

data, including monitoring data.

• Availability of local professionals, including

scientists, engineers and lawyers.

• Stable democratic and economic climate which

is favorable for investment.

Israel’s CDM offers investors from Annex I countries

numerous opportunities for implementing projects

in a wide variety of subjects, including energy,

transportation and waste projects. In fact, the

carbon credit market from CDM projects in Israel

is estimated at about 15 million Euros per year.

These funds will play a pivotal role in advancing

environmental projects in Israel.

To date (September 2006), fourteen

projects, relating to such fields aslandfill reclamation, renewable

and clean energy, production

efficiency and waste treatment,

have been submitted to Israel’s DNA

for approval. They will be assessed

according to nine sustainable

development indicators. Onceapproved, they should deliver about

1.9 million tons of carbon dioxide

equivalent (CERs) per year.

Adv. Lior Shmueli, Israel’s CDM-DNA Coordinator, expects additional

projects to be submitted to the DNA by the end of 2006, mostly in thearea of renewable energy. According to Shmueli, "Israel presents an

excellent venue in which to develop CDM projects because, although

categorized as a developing country under the Kyoto Protocol, it has

all the characteristics of a developed country."

For updated information on the CDM in Israel, please see the website of the

Ministry of Environmental Protection: www1.sviva.gov.il/e_cdm

Electricity Production and CO2 Emissions

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

19921991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Electricity Production (MMWh/yr)

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

Annual Emissions (1000 tons/year)

Electricity Production (MMWh/yr) Emission (1000 tons/yr)

Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Emissions – 1996-2000

8,000

-2,000

18,000

28,000

38,000

48,000

58,000

Energy Industry Agriculture Land Use Change& Forestry

Waste

103 tons1996

2000

Hiriya Landfill Project: Israel’s FirstRegistered CDM Project

The Hiriya landfill was the main disposal

facility for the municipal solid waste of the

greater Tel Aviv metropolitan area (Dan

Region) between 1954 and 1998 when it

was finally shut down. The waste which

accumulated in this "garbage mountain"

for more than two decades led to serious

environmental degradation as well as to

the emission of methane gas as a result of

anaerobic degradation. Methane (CH4)

is a powerful greenhouse gas whose glo-bal warming potential (GWP) is 21 times

greater than CO2.

The Dan Region Association of Towns for

Sanitation, which operates the Hiriya landfill

site, has set up a methane gas collection

system at the landfill. Gas collected from

some 63 drills is concentrated in a central

transport pipeline and transferred to a flare

at the base of the mountain for treatment.

The biogas is being used as an energy

source in a nearby industrial plant.

The Hiriya Landfill Project was officially

registered on February 2, 2006 and is the

first project in Israel to be registered by the

Executive Board of the CDM. It is expected

to generate 93,000 CERs per year.

Contribution of Sectors to CO2

Equivalent Emissions (100 years)

Waste12%

Agriculture3%

Industry4%

Energy81%




Treatingmunicipal,


waste

Catalyzingeconomic

growth andnational

interests



18



sources

Climate change should be addressed in three

ways:

• Developing climate change scenarios and

models that look at such parameters as

temperature, precipitation, extreme weather

events, winds and humidity.• Developing mitigation options for reducing

the factors responsible for climate change,

specifically greenhouse gas emissions.

• Developing mechanisms for adaptation to

climate change.

In Israel, all three components have been at

the center of scientific research. Yet, as extreme

weather events occur and recur worldwide, Israel

recognizes that the wheel cannot be turned back.

It has therefore begun to focus on adaptation

measures to diminish the risk of damage fromfuture climate change and from present climate

variability, on discovering the most optimal and

environment-friendly ways of adapting to the

consequences of climate change.

Adaptation or Maladaptation?

How best to adapt to the consequences of

climate change? Israel recognizes that some

adaptation methods are better than others.

The idea is to move away from such possible"maladaptations" as building a desalination plant

in order to compensate for inadequate rainfallor constructing yet another power plant to meet

growing demands for air conditioners due to global

warming. Adaptations – or maladaptations - such

as these continue the vicious cycle of producing

ever-increasing quantities of greenhouse gas

emissions. Today’s efforts try to focus on innovative

tools that will get to the root of the problem – tools

that will give top priority to such goals as ene

conservation, green building, water sens

construction and creation of floodplains

suitable riverbank vegetation.

Israel is no stranger to technological innova

In fact, the very scarcity of natural resou

Adapting to Climate

Change in IsraelI

Israel is readying to embark on a national

research program on adaptation to climate

change

On the Israeli Front

Several initiatives have been spearhead

by the Ministry of Environmental Protecti

over the past year to increase knowled

about the potential impacts of clima

change:

• In 2005, the Chief Scientist of the Minis

of Environmental Protection issued

call for proposals for research studies

the impacts of climate change in Israand means of adaptation. Ten resear

projects were approved for funding

subjects as diverse as the impacts

vegetation on the urban microclima

to changes in biodiversity as a result

climate change.

• In 2005, the Chief Scientist of the Minis

of Environmental Protection catalyz

the establishment of an interdisciplina

steering committee on adaptation

climate change.

• On June 21, 2006, the Ministry Environmental Protection along w

the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry

Science and Technology organized a w

attended conference on "The Impa

of Climate Change in Israel – Towa

a National Action Plan." Presentatio

focused on climate change trends a

scenarios and their anticipated impa

on energy demand, hydrological chang

in the Kinneret watershed basin, rise

Mediterranean Sea level, agricultu

health and economy.



19

has catalyzed the country to seek – and to

implement – cutting-edge technologies in such

fields as water treatment, recycling and reuse,

seawater desalination and desert agriculture

and afforestation. Although Israel has much

to learn from the worldcommunity, it also has

much to contribute in

numerous fields – forest

management and re–

duction of forest fires,

combating desertification

or water conservation, to

name but a handful.

Joining the World

Community

The realization that certainimpacts of climate change are unavoidable

and that countries will need to adapt to these

impacts has led to the establishment, in 2004, of

CIRCLE – Climate Change Research Coordination

for a Larger Europe. CIRLE seeks to coordinate

European research on climate change impact,

assessment and adaptation in a way that will

provide decision makers with the informationthey need to design effective and economically

efficient and feasible adaptation strategies. This is

being done by networking and aligning national

research programs in the 18 CIRCLE partnercountries, including Israel.

Preparing for Climate Change

Israel’s climate change conference, held in June

2006, put the question of adaptation on the table.

Its goal was to increase public awareness and to

identify subjects for further research on means of

adapting to climate change. And it did just that.

According to the Chief Scientist of the Ministry

of Environmental Protection, Dr. Yeshayahu Bar-

Or, European countries are spending millions of

euros on preparing national programs for climatechange, vulnerability and adaptation. The time

has come for Israel to do so as well.

Preparatory steps would include wide public

discussion on climate change issues in Israel

and worldwide, identification of major impacts,

literature surveys and research on means of

preparing

for and

adapting

to the im–

pacts ofclimate change in different areas. The goal

is to implement a national research program

and action plan which would encompass such

subjects as energy, agriculture, the coastal aquifer,

coastal infrastructures and archaeological sites,

biodiversity and ecosystem services, intense floods,

public health, climate-sensitive public gardening,

climate-sensitive building and tourism.Preparedness for the consequences of climate

change should prevent large-scale economic,

environmental and social damages while facili-

tating the development of innovative technologiesand the export of such technologies to high-risk

countries in terms of climate change.

Israel isdeterminedto discover

the mostoptimal andenvironment-friendly waysof adapting

to theconsequences

of climatechange.

Climate Change in Israel: Findings of a 40 Year Comparative Study

• Minimum and maximum summer temperatures have increased

by one degree.

• There is no net change in annual temperature because winter

temperatures have declined.

• The probability of very hot summer days has increased threefold

– with temperatures exceeding 35º C in Jerusalem.

• Rainfall has increased in the center and south of the country andhas decreased in the Kinneret basin.

• The frequency of extreme events – major rainfalls, very hot days

and years which are either exceedingly wet or exceedingly dry

– has increased.

• Evaporation rates have decreased in the north and center (by

some 14%) and increased in the south (by some 19%).

Flash flood in the Judean desert

Drifted rock fragments on the Dimona –

Dead Sea highway





sources

Treatingmunicipal,


waste

Catalyzingeconomic

growth andnational

interests

20



Improving the environment andpreseving open spaces

In mid-June 2006, Israel’s Registrar of Companies

approved the establishment of a government

company to plan, develop, manage and maintain

the Ayalon Park, to preserve it as an open

public space, to rehabilitate the Hiriya garbage

mountain and to promote solutions to propertyrights issues in the park area. The approval was

accompanied by an agreement between the

Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Prime

Minister’s Office to allocate 50 million shekels from

the state budget to the company over the next

five years. These funds will be matched by the

Beracha Foundation, a philanthropic foundation

dedicated to promoting environmental and social

issues in Israel, bringing the total budget of thegovernment company to 100 million shekels over

the next five years.

Members of the company will include repre–sentatives of all stakeholders - government

ministries, mayors or representatives of surrounding

local authorities, and representatives of green and

academic institutions. According to Dr. Martin

Weyl, who heads the Beracha Foundation and isa key figure in plans for the park, "This is a winning

combination which will allow the company to go

forward and to initiate and implement detailed

plans. We have reached a point of no return and

will continue to invest major efforts to raise the

awareness of all stakeholders, especially in the

surrounding communities."

Major Components of the Park

The major element in the design of the Ayalon Park

will be the rehabilitated Hiriya landfill on the eastern

part of the park. The southern part of the park, within

the area of the floodplain, is designated mainly for

an urban wild and wetlands. The northern area

will include an urban terrace with a promen

boasting coffee shops, park areas, and wal

paths. Additional elements will include agricul

fields, the Talmudic Bnei Brak archaeological

the historic Mikveh Yisrael agricultural school

a recycling park and visitor center.

Facts to Remember

• On April 20, 2005, the Israel governme

decided to establish the Ayalon Park in

area spanning 800 hectares surround

the Hiriya landfill and to allocate million shekels of state funds for the pa

development, on the basis of matchi

funds: a shekel of budgetary allocati

for a shekel of donation.

• The area of the park has been reserv

as a floodplain for the Ayalon aShafirim Streams, which explains why

has remained an open space in one

Israel’s most densely populated areas

• Statistically, the Ayalon River will flo

once every twenty years and will overflo

once every fifty years. Extreme floods a

expected once every 100 years, whi

would fill up the stream’s floodplain.

• By 2020, the population of the Tel A

metropolitan area should reach som

3.3 million, of which 1.2 million will resi

in the Tel Aviv region itself – half of thein the area surrounding the Ayalon Pa

• The park will serve as a vast, season

reservoir with a containing volume of abo

4 million cubic meters, creating a flo

buffer, and protecting the surroundi

population from flood damages.

• The Dan Region Association of Tow

Sanitation and Waste Disposal, wh

receives waste from 14 local authoriti

spearheaded the Hiriya landfill restorati

project and plans for a recycling park

the site.

Moving Aheadon the Ayalon Park

Ayalon River.

Photo: Amir Balaban

AA government company to administer the

Ayalon Park, backed up by governmental

and private funding, should go a long way

toward transforming the vision of Ayalon Park

into a reality



21

Focusing on Different Elements in the Park:

Rehabilitated Hiriya Landfill: Plans call for

transforming Hiriya’s waste into a resource

for recycling and reuse, with the leachates

transformed into water to irrigate the park (using

constructed wetlands) and the biogas transformed

into energy to meet the energy needs of both the

park and other facilities. To stabilize the slopes,

supports will be placed along the lower part

of the slopes and aggregates from the on-site

recycling of construction waste will be used to

complete the rehabilitation and stabilization of

the mountain. A 25 meter high terrace will support

the mountain, while an axis to the summit of the

landfill will allow visitors to enjoy an impressive

view of the park, the Tel Aviv metropolitan area

and the Mediterranean Sea.

Recycling Park: A 30 hectare recycling park, inan area which currently includes a waste transfer

station, is under construction in Hiriya. Facilities

include:

• Bio-treatment of municipal waste: A biological

waste treatment plant, developed by Arrow

Ecology, handles about 200 tons of waste

per day, separates recyclable materials from

unsorted household waste and biologically

transforms the organic fraction of the waste

into biogas.

• Garden waste recycling system: The system

handles about 100 tons of garden waste perday, with the recycled material used to cover

land and gardens.

• Biogas production: A system of gas wells for

pumping the methane gas trapped in the

Hiriya landfill is being established for electricity

production.

• Treatment and recycling of construction waste:

A construction waste recycling factory is

expected to treat some 2000 tons of waste

per day. Metals will be separated from the

concrete and the crushed waste will be used

for rehabilitating the garbage mountain.• Additional facilities: These will include a used

battery collection center, a facility for tire

recycling, a biogas fueling station for cars and

anaerobic treatment (gasification).

Constructed Wetlands: The constructed wetlands

will harvest and treat alternative water resources,

including leachates and wastewater, helping to

stabilize environmental problems such

as flooding and pollution. Parts of the

area will include trails and bridges for

the pleasure of the public.Visitor Center: At the foot of the landfill

to the east of the park, a visitor centerwill serve as a lobby into a total visitor

experience, including the wetlands,

observation points, and the recycling

center. Even prior to its inauguration,

some 3000 schoolchildren visit the site

on a monthly basis.

Moving Ahead

Plans for the Ayalon Park are going

ahead, both on the drawing board and

in the field. With the help of the Beracha

Foundation, the Botanical Garden atthe Mikveh Yisrael agricultural school

has been renewed and will be opened

up as part of the park. Bicycle paths

are already serving avid cyclists, and

different ways of covering the paths

to accommodate winter and summer

cycling are being examined. As night

descends, experiments on different

lighting possibilities are conducted to

highlight Hiriya’s standing as a gateway

to the Tel Aviv metropolis. And most

importantly, detailed plans are beingdrawn up in areas as diverse as floodwater

protection and transportation access,

in collaboration with such bodies as the

Drainage Authority and the National

Roads Company.

The foremost concern, for all involved, is a

commitment to transform this open space

into a place of refuge from the hustle and

bustle of city life, an environmentally

friendly public space and a model for

resource conservation and efficiency.

Hopefully, at a point not too far in thefuture, residents and tourists will be

able to look up at what was once an

eyesore and will see, instead, a magical

mountain surrounded by green areas,

serving all sectors of the population

– environmentally, aesthetically and

recreationally.

"Hiriya landfill is thesymbol of the park. It isthe symbol of healingand regeneration forthe polluted areas.

It is the symbol for therehabilitation of the

water system.It is the symbol for the

creation of wildlifecommunities andit is the symbol forpeople's spirit andemotional state."

(From the Ayalon Park International

Charrette, published in 2004.)


Arrow Ecology reactors. Photo: Eyal Shani

Green Waste. Photo: Gil Vaadia

Gravel in front of Hiriya. Photo: Gil Vaadia





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22



How to attain a sustainable balance between

human and environmental needs? This is the

classic dilemma, a major challenge, and there

is no magic solution. One possible answer,

currently advanced by the Regional Council of

Megiddo in the Ramat Menashe region, is the

establishment of a biosphere region (reserve) in

the 18,000 hectare green lung between Haifa and

Tel Aviv. According to "The Statutory Framework

of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves" of

UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB),

biosphere reserves are created "to promote and

demonstrate a balanced relationship between

humans and the environment." This is what the

plan for Ramat Menashe is all about.

A Biosphere Region in the Making: The Cas

Ramat Menashe

Recognition of the high landscape value of RaMenashe, a unique geographic entity betwthe Lower Galilee, the Jezreel Valley, the Um

Fahm mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, is

a new phenomenon. In fact, all of Israel’s natio

master plans, including the recently appro

National Outline Plan for Building, Developm

and Conservation (National Plan 35) identify

region as an area with the very highest landsc

sensitivity, designated for conservation.

However, plans aside and reality aside. In rec

years, the area has been subject to continu

threats – from infrastructure development, ncities and communities, a high-tension line of

Israel Electric Corporation, a solid waste disp

site, the Trans-Israel Highway, an industrial p

an employment center, and more. Stakehol

realized that if something is not done, amendm

and easements to plans of all kinds could

change the unique rural character of the a

They decided not only to guard against th

potential threats, but to do something pos– to come up with a set of rules for managing

area which would optimally balance betw

human needs and environmental needs.

A strategic plan for the Megiddo Regio

Council, together with plans for a park span

about half the area of the regional council, w

the basis for advancing a biosphere regio

the Ramat Menashe region. During the cours

drafting the strategic plan for the regional cou

some six years ago, a process based on bro

Biosphere Regionon the Way

AA biosphere region is in the making in the

Ramat Menashe region just south of the

Lower Galilee

Biosphere Reserves:

Israel and Worldwide

• In the summer of 2006, there were 482

biosphere reserves in 102 countries

within the framework of UNESCO’s MAB

program.

• In Israel, one biosphere reserve, Mt.Carmel was declared in 1996.

• Two more biosphere reserves are planned

for Israel: in Ramat Menashe, south of

the Lower Galilee and in the Judean

Hills in the transition zone between the

Mediterranean and desert biomes.


Tabor oak landscape. Photo: Liron Shapir



23

public participation, it was discovered that what

united all stakeholders was the desire to preserve

the special character of the open space in this

region. Based on this, decisions were made about

activities in different areas of life – from tourism

to culture to development to environment. Mostimportantly, the strategic plan gave broad public

backing for plans for an 8,400 hectare park within

the jurisdiction of the council, which is populated

by nearly 10,000 people living in 13 communities,

mostly moshavim and kibbutzim.

Statutory Recognition for the Ramat Menashe Park

The Ramat Menashe park plan was initiated by

the Regional Council of Megiddo, the Jewish

National Fund, and by residents of the area

themselves. The process of declaring about half

of the area of the Regional Council of Megiddoas the Ramat Menashe Park, with a set of rules

and regulations on planning and building, was

crowned with success in June 2006. The primary

aim of the park, according to its planners, is to

preserve the land unit in such a way as to assure

the optimal coexistence of humans, flora and

fauna and agriculture, on the one hand, and

the preservation of the provincial atmosphere,

rural intimacy and feeling of open spaces, on

the other hand.

The park itself is being developed as a unique

forest reserve of both man-planted and naturalTabor oak woodlands (Quercus ithaburensis) ,

mixed pine forests, cypress, open spaces, fields,

orchards, springs and brooks. Some of the areas of

the park are already protected by law as forests

or nature reserves; others are designated for the

development of tourism and recreation. The plan

divides the park into regions with different levels

of conservation/development, based on the

carrying capacity of each area, such as nature

reserves and their environs, areas designated forconservation, forests, agriculture, livestock pasture,

rural open areas and rural settlement areas.According to Shlomo Brand, the director of the

Menashe region in the Jewish National Fund and

the coordinator of the project, "the plan for the

park doubles the areas which will be statutorily

protected in comparison to the situation prior to

the plan’s approval. The plan will protect open

spaces against government plans to establish new

communal settle–

ments." The plan will

ensure that all future

development in the

park area will be

contiguous to existingbuilding and "every

plan will comply

with environmental

stipulations on the

protection of open

spaces and preven–

tion of pollution, which

were determined in

the park plan."

Following the

Biosphere ReserveModel

As one of the largest

expanses of open

space in Israel, in–

cluding a wide diver–

sity of natural assets

alongside human

settlements and ag–

ricultural areas, Ra–

mat Menashe is an

ideal candidate for

the development ofa biosphere region.

Although efforts are

currently invested

in transforming the

entire jurisdiction

area of the Megiddo

Regional Council – some 18,000 hectares – into a biosphere region, the

overall objective is to eventually include the entire geographic area of

Ramat Menashe (which includes the town of Yokne’am and the Alona

Regional Council) within one biosphere region. The hope is that the future

will see a continuous open space in the area which will encompass the

Ramat Menashe Park, the Alona Park to its west and the Carmel Parkto the north.

In retrospect, the process initiated by the Megiddo Regional Council and

by the Jewish National Fund unconsciously followed the concept of the

biosphere reserve developed by UNESCO, both in terms of the differentprotection levels given to different areas (zones) of the park and in terms

of the democratic process which was an integral part of the process.

For the Megiddo Regional Council, the biosphere reserve model is guiding


Vineyards, wheatfields and oaks. Photo: Liron Shapira

Yokneam against backdrop of open space. Photo: Liron Shapira

Megiddo's green association cleans up. Photo: Na'ama Tessler




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Catalyzingeconomic

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all development. According to Hanan Erez, mayor

of the council, "the intention in Megiddo is to

reach agreements through a process similar to

mediation, which is based on the good will of all

of the partners, rather than coercion from above

by means of legislation or court sentences."

Master Plan for a Biosphere Region for the

Megiddo Regional Council

Since 2005, a steering committee, composed of

different stakeholders including members of the

Megiddo Regional Council, the Jewish National

Fund and representatives of grassroots and

government organizations, has been working to

advance UNESCO’s declaration of the area as

a biosphere region.

Today, a formal process is under way: preparation

of a master plan for the development of a

biosphere region in the Megiddo Regional

Council. Its major objectives:

• To formulate policy and guidelines for planning

the regional council as a biosphere region,

balancing betw

natural resource p

tection and respo

to human needs.

• To create wide pu

consensus about council’s vision

the year 2030 an

define the significa

of the region as pa

a biosphere regio

According to Joel Sie

the strategic planne

the Megiddo Regio

Council, the master p

for a biosphere reg

will result in four primproducts:

1. Designation of l

uses including ma

2. Preparation of po

papers, based o

consensus build

approach and agreements betw

the political eche

professionals, communities and resident

issues as diverse as agriculture, infrastruc

development, education and social

ecological justice.

3. Development of the necessary munic

frameworks to facilitate the flexible

dynamic advancement of the process.

4. Transformation of some of the plans statutory plans and bylaws while allowing ot

to remain in the form of covenants and j

understandings.

Partnerships: At the Heart of the Plan

The process of formulating the plan tow

a biosphere region is based on the forgingpartnerships with all stakeholders. Today, part

include the Jewish National Fund, the Megi

Regional Council, government ministries s

as the Ministry of Environmental Protect

Interior, Agriculture, Tourism, Government Tou

Company, UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Prog

(MAB) and Haifa University. During the proc

24ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 31


Hagit power plant. Photo: Liron Shapira



work teams will be set up, in which residents will be involved to the greatest

extent possible. The goal is to set up a community-municipal partnership

for sustainable development.

Challenges along the Way

While there is no hiding the excitement of the stakeholders, all are fully

aware that the process will not be easy. This is partially because the

process itself, in the words of the head of the council’s environmental

unit, Liron Shapira, "constitutes the very antithesis of the current system of

legislation, enforcement and court sentences. In the case of the Megiddo

Regional Council, the local authority is ready to relinquish its power and to

share it with the residents. The idea is to transfer responsibility to residents

themselves in an ongoing process, which will not be dependent on the

municipal administration in office at any specific time, or officials who

might be replaced in the next election."

What are some of the challenges? Joel Siegel believes that one of the

main difficulties is finding ways to transform an abstract vision into practical

reality – for example, to plan industrial areas and infrastructures, withouttaking the soul out of the process. Ways will have to be found to maintain

voluntary involvement in the long term, to keep the pioneering spirit alive.

In more practical terms, human and financial resources will be needed to

move the process along. And further down the line, means will have to be

found to enlist the support and partnership of adjacent local authorities so

that the biosphere region would encompass the entire Ramat Menashe

region.

Why Promote a Biosphere Region?

The establishment of a biosphere region has a price tag, but the price

should be well worth it - economically, socially and environmentally.

Quality of life in such an area for present and future generations is a given,

but more than this, green branding of agricultural and industrial initiatives

should provide a competitive edge, both nationally and internationally.

With international recognition, improved business opportunities, quality

of life, and community pride and empowerment, biosphere regions have

much going for them.

Liron Shapira has labeled the Ramat Menashe area the "Central Park ofIsrael," a large expanse of space bounded by the two population centers

of Tel Aviv and Haifa. Within this biosphere region, communities will beable to act according to commonly agreed rules which define what they

should and should not do and in what fashion within each of the zones in

the biosphere region – core area, buffer zone and transition area.

The mayor of the Megiddo Regional Council, Hanan Erez, is fully convinced

that the bottom-up approach, which is part and parcel of the biosphere

region concept, works. September 2006 should see the selection of theplanning team that will prepare the master plan for a biosphere region in the

regional council, but already today, steps are being taken to raise public

awareness, through community meetings, websites, and an information

kit. In short, everyone is gearing up to transform vision into reality.

Shlomo KatzDirector,

Northern Region

of the Ministry of

Environmental

Protection

The Ramat Menashe

region is not only rich in

natural assets, but it is equally "rich" in national

infrastructures, whether a planned 400 kV high-

voltage line of the Israel Electric Company, the

Hagit gas turbine, the Trans-Israel Highway (Road

#6), plans for a solid waste disposal site and plans

for a new city of Eron. Our challenge is to find

ways to allow essential infrastructures to exist withminimum damage to the environment.

There are many dilemmas in planning biosphere

regions, including how to encourage high-density

building while preserving a rural atmosphere or

how to enable the coexistence of essential natio–

nal infrastructures and open space conservation.

To help answer these critical questions, a new

environmental unit was established for Yokneam,

Megiddo and Ramat Yishai, which should help

increase public awareness and promote a

comprehensive vision of future development in

this ecologically sensitive area.

Perhaps what is most distinctive is the level of

public participation and activism. Just last week,

at the end of August 2006, a first of its kind public

hearing was held on an initiative to transfer lands

from the Megiddo Regional Council to the town

of Yokneam in order to allow the latter to expand.

The greens of Megiddo did an impressive job of

raising public awareness of the issues at stake.

Residents made their voice known on behalf

of the conservation of open spaces through

thousands of petitions and participation in the

hearing.

I have no doubt that the process initiated by

the Megiddo Regional Council for establishing a

biosphere region, in which public participation

plays such an important role, is a healthy

process, which will prove effective in finding

the right balance between conservation and

development.

Balancing Conservationand Developmentin Ramat Menashe

25





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26

Catalyzing economic growth andnational interests

Catalyzingeconomic

growth andnational

interests

The Comprehensive National Outline

Plan for Building, Development and

Conservation (TAMA 35), approved

by the government at the end of

2005, addresses Israel’s development

needs in the first two decades of the

21st century. Its approval constitutes

an important milestone in the history

of physical planning in Israel.

Outline Plan 35 consists of a series of

statutory maps which give expression

to a new planning language - the

language of "textures." The plan

identifies five "textures," two of whichare development worthy – urban

and rural, and three of which are

conservation worthy including coastal,

mixed conservation and national

conservation, the latter two relating to

the conservation of continuous areas

of open space, agriculture, natural

assets, landscape and heritage.

The plan consolidates physical

development into a concentrated

set of urban centers and strengthens

four metropolitan areas – Haifa, TelAviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba – while curbing

suburbanization and urban sprawl and preserving

a continuity of open spaces.

Special protection is granted to previously

unprotected areas such as open spaces along

watercourses, buffer zones between built-up

urban areas and the urban shoreline as a pu

open space. In these areas, development

be severely restricted except for leisure

recreation purposes. Areas of development

conservation are linked together with a pu

transportation infrastructure.

Planning for Building

and Developmentin the 21st Century

RResponding to Israel’s buildingand development needs whilepreserving open spaces and landreserves for future generations

National

Outline

Plan 35

Urban texture

Rural texture

Coastal texture

Mixed conservation text

National conservation te

Landscape ensemble

Built space

River strip

Coastal strip

Landscape strip

Large special settlemen

Special settlement

National installation

Port

Existing airport

Proposed airport

Border crossing

Roads and interchanges

Railway tracks and statio

Subdistrict boundary

Plan boundary

Map of Textures

Legend



27

Objectives of National Outline Plan 35

The mega goals of National Outline Plan 35 are based on the princi-

ples of sustainable development, including economic growth, social

equity and quality of life and the environment.

Its major objectives:

• Responding to the planning and building needs of the State of

Israel, while directing the bulk of development to urban "textures"

and reducing suburbanization.

• Organizing Israel’s spatial environment into five distinguishable types

of textures (development-worthy and conservation-worthy) and

consolidating urban areas into four metropolitan areas (Haifa, Tel

Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba) while emphasizing the principle

of open space continuity.

• Giving priority to the development of Jerusalem, as the capital

of Israel, the Galilee and the Negev – while emphasizing the

development of Beersheba.

• Promoting the development of public transportation.

• Responding to the varied demands of different sectors of the

population while narrowing gaps between different sectors and

regions.

• Preserving land reserves for future generations while protectingnatural assets, agriculture, landscape and heritage and the rural

character of agricultural settlement.

• Improving urban entities through gradual renewal, relatively

high density building and development of infrastructure systems

emphasizing public transportation, as a driving force for urban

development.

• Reducing environmental deterioration and nuisances, according

to sustainable development principles.

• Encouraging cooperation among local authorities and promoting

coordinated regional planning.

• Advancing outline plans and policy papers and following up on

development and conservation.

Components of the Outline Plan

The statutory component of the plan highlightssuch principles as contiguous development,minimum density for residential purposes, urbanrenewal, and open space protection which goes

beyond the protection of nature reserves, national

parks and forests and includes the protection oflandscape ensembles, coastal strips, river strips and

landscape strips. At the same time, it promotespublic transportation, reduces social gaps, callsfor the integration of infrastructure corridors andemphasizes the protection and improvement ofthe environment.

The environmental regulations of the plan, which

are also displayed in map form (see above),define more than half of the country as an areaof high landscape sensitivity, where additionaldevelopment is conditional on the performance

of landscape/environmental assessments. Theenvironmental requirements also define areas for

the protection of water resources and aircraft noise

impact areas and call for assessments of eachdevelopment plan which may threaten to harmthe environment. Additional requirements relateto risk assessments in different areas, including

seismic risk areas, and contaminated land.

National Outline Plan 35 – Milestones in the Approval Process

29.12.04 Approval by the Committee for the Protection of the Coastal

Environment

3.1.05 Approval by the Committee for the Protection of Agricultural

Land and Open Spaces

4.1.05 Approval by the National Board for Planning and

Building

27.11.05 Approval by the Israel government

Side by side with the statutory guidelines, the plan includes recommendations

on complementary policy measures which should be taken by the authorities

to assure the fulfillment of the planning goals: socio-economic policy, urban

renewal, preservation and improvement of open spaces, accelerateddevelopment of public transportation, accelerated development of theNegev and Galilee, accelerated development of Arab communities and

strengthening of cooperative ties among adjacent municipalities.

Environmental Guidelines Map

Map depicts areas of high landscape-environmental sensitivity (green), water conservation areas (blue), aircraft noise impacted areas and main infrastructures.




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Catalyzingeconomic

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How to minimize aircraft noise and yet provide the

public with safe and efficient aviation services?

The question is not unique to Israel, but represents

a major challenge in the environs of Israel’s major

airport, Ben Gurion International Airport, situated

in the midst of the densely populated Tel Aviv

metropolitan region.

In Israel, as elsewhere in the world, the response

is based on a multi-faceted approach based

on reducing noise at source (the aircraft itself),

imposing restrictions on airport operations, and

controlling development in the noise impacted

area through compatible land-use planning and

noise mitigation (soundproofing).

Minimizing Noise at Source

In accordance with noise standards set by the

International Civil Aviation Organization, which

have been incorporated into Israel’s Aviation Law

and its regulations, Stage 2 civilian aircraft have

been banned from Israel’s airports since April

2002. Today, with the exception of military flightswhich still include previous generation planes, only

Stage 3 civilian aircraft operate at Ben Gurion

Airport, and, in fact, in 2005, an increasing portion

of the planes landing and taking off actually

complied with the more stringent Stage 4 noise

requirements.

Operational Restrictions

In order to minimize the generation of noise from

Ben Gurion Airport, the Israel Airport Authority

has adopted a noise minimization policy, which

addresses the following aspects, among others:

• Controlling takeoffs at night.

• Using a preferred model of operation

(optimizing use of flight paths and routes).

• Placing operational restrictions on different ty

of aircraft according to their noise output

• Acoustic protection.

• Monitoring aircraft noise and flight tracks.

Noise Abatement Provisions under the Ben

Gurion Airport Master Plan

In view of its size and impact on the populat

a separate master plan (National Plan 2/4)

drawn up for Ben Gurion Airport, which defines

BBen Gurion International Airport is Israel’s main aerial gateway, with more than 73,000 land

and takeoffs – of which 56,000 were international flights - in 2005. More than 8,917,531

sengers passed through the airport in 2005, of which nearly 413,000 were internal passeng

Environmental Provisions of the Master

Plan for Ben Gurion Airport

• Establishment of noise contour ma

which delineate the area in which lan

use and building restrictions apply.

• Commitment of the Israel Airpo

Authority to minimize the impacts aircraft noise, through such means as

preferred operational system for takeo

and landings and provisions on acoust

treatment for present and future buildin

which are exposed to aircraft noise.

• Setting of specific provisions o

environmental control and supervisio

based on advanced technologic

mechanisms (including a noise monitorin

system) and public mechanisms (includin

a Public Committee, with representativ

of residents from the impacted areand a Professional Committee, w

representatives from the Ministry

Environmental Protection, Interior and Isra

Airports Authority, to prepare update

noise contour maps and recommen

them to the Public Committee).

Abating Noise from

Ben Gurion Airport

28ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 31

Catalyzing economic growth andnational interests



The noise and flight track monitoring system is in operation since 1996.

The system continuously measures the intensity of all aircraft noise, using

ten monitors located along the takeoff flight paths, with real-time data

collection capability and a central control and monitoring system to

correlate noise violations with flight data.

The system is designed to monitor and prevent excessive noise levels in

the populated areas under the westerly departure corridors. Maximal

noise levels are set for each noise monitoring terminal at each locality

in dB(A) and the Ministry of Environmental Protection receives monthly

reports on-line.

To further improve the monitoring system and to identify deviations

from the flight path, a radar-based path enforcement system has been

installed which enables correlation of noise events recorded by the

stations with flights along the flight path.

For any deviation from the noise levels at the monitoring stations which

is automatically identified by the system, a warning letter is printed and

sent to the airline company, demanding a detailed explanation of

the reason for the deviation. The system’s findings are discussed by an

interdisciplinary team responsible for dealing with excessive aircraft noise.

In case of deviations from permitted noise levels, the team takes steps

Noise Contours Around Ben Gurion Airport

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

60 dBA

square kilomters

65 dBA 70 dBA 75 dBA

1997

2005

noise impacted areas and includes a nuisance

abatement plan with specific directives on

land use and noise abatement. The master

plan, approved in July 1997, is unique in that

the boundary specified in the plan is the actual

boundary of the noise impacted area.

Acoustic Treatment

According to the master plan, acoustic treatment

is required for sensitive noise uses in areas

exposed to noise between 60 dB(A) and 65

dB(A) and sensitive land uses in areas exposed

to aircraft noise above 65 dB(A) are prohibited.Unacceptably high aircraft noise is defined as an

average cumulative noise level of 65 decibels

or higher based on the Day-Night Sound Level

(LDN) method, as calculated by the Integrated

Noise Model.

As per the terms of the statutory master plan,

the Israel Airports Authority is required to provide

acoustic protection to residents in the environs of

Ben Gurion Airport. Eligibility for acoustic treatment

is determined by a legal expert based on a noise

contour map which is prepared each year. A

17-member public committee is responsible forimplementing the environmental provisions of the

master plan, including matters related to acoustic

treatment.

Ben Gurion Airport Noise Monitoring System

The noise abatement provisions under the master

plan are enforced through a monitoring system.

29






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30

Catalyzingeconomic

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interests

to stop the deviations. The possibility of introducing

some form of penalty, whether fines or fees based

on the noise level generated, is currently being

considered. In general, the number of violations

of noise standards has been less than 1% of the

total number of takeoffs from the airport.

A Look at Noise Contours around Ben Gurion

Airport in 2005

According to National Master Plan 2/4, an

updated noise contour map is required every

year "to determine eligibility for treatment inexisting residential dwelling units for the purpose

of reducing noise in them."

A look at results over the past seven years shows

the following changes in the noise contours from

1999 to 2005:

• Reduction of 17.4% in the Ldn=60dB(A) noise

contour area;

• Reduction of 22.6% in the Ldn=65 dB(A) noise

contour area;

• Reduction of 34.4% in the Ldn=70 dB(A) noise

contour area;

• Reduction of 32.5% in the Ldn=75dB(A) noisecontour area.

The combination of measures taken in Ben Gurion

Airport appears to be working as evidenced by

the actual decrease in the population exposed

to noise in the vicinity of the airport despite the

significant increase in international air traffic

which characterized the last decade. Based on

Airport Noise and Operations Monitorin

System

The noise monitoring system at Ben Gurio

Airport is a sophisticated, acoustic syste

which monitors aircraft flight tracks, fle

mix, and noise levels by time of day, seaso

and annually.Among the basic capabilities of the system

• Identification of flights that deviate fro

permitted noise levels.

• Identification of noise events and fligh

according to residents’ complaints.

• Identification of the location whe

aircraft pass in relation to specifi

areas (up to the level of streets an

buildings).

• Storage, display and analysis of aviatio

data.

• Production of automatic reports, such letters of complaints to airline compani

for deviating from the noise threshold

airway routes.

• Retrieval of system data by vario

criteria and their display on maps an

photos.


the results of the LDN 65 dB(A) noise contours

new residential units were added to the eligib

circle for acoustic treatment in 2005.




31

Steps to Reduce Noisefrom Ben Gurion Airport

Stelian Ghelberg

Director,Noise and Radiation Abatement

Department

What is the size of the area

impacted by noise from

Ben Gurion Airport today as

opposed to ten years ago?

The master plan for Ben Gurion Airport, which was

approved in 1997, equates the boundaries of the plan

with the boundaries of the noise impacted area –60 km2. According to the most recent noise contour

map, there were 48.5 km2 which were impacted by

noise exceeding 60 dB(A) from the airport in 2005. The

reduction in the area exposed to aircraft noise over the

years is largely due to the new mix of aircraft, which

includes a larger percentage of quieter aircraft. Other

factors include reduced activity by the Air Force, which

was in the past responsible for major noise nuisances in

this central area of the country.

What role has the Ministry of Environmental Protection

played in reducing noise exposure from Ben GurionAirport?

Most of the environmental provisions in the Master Plan

for Ben Gurion International Airport were initiated by

the ministry. These included the provision of acoustic

protection to residential units exposed to noise above

65 dB(A). As a result, some 1000 residential units were

found to be eligible for acoustic treatment, including

treatment of windows and doors and installation of air

conditioners.

In addition, the ministry played an important part in

implementing the decision of the National Board for

Planning and Building regarding assistance to localauthorities in the noise impacted area. In this case, it helped

initiate a plan, along with the Israel Airport Authority, to

provide acoustic treatment to schools and kindergartens

in the area. As part of the program, acoustic protection

was granted to 23 schools and 77 kindergartens.

How is the problem of night flights being tackled?

The situation today is different than it was in 1997 when the

master plan for the airport was first approved. At that time,

aircraft were louder and there was no monitoring and

tracking system at the airport. Therefore, the restriction of

nighttime takeoffs was an important element in the noise

reduction program. Today this restriction bans nighttime

takeoffs between 01:40 am - 5:50 am, although some

exceptional takeoffs are allowed with the prior approval

of the Minister of Transport.

In practice, since November 1998, when implementation

of the government decision on limiting nighttime takeoffs

from Ben Gurion Airport began, there has been a sharp

increase in the number of takeoffs just before and

immediately after the banned hours, which are very

sensitive times from the point of view of the residents.

Therefore, we have been working with the Civil Aviation

Authority to advance an alternative program that will

allow the airport to operate at night but under the strict

stipulation that only fourth generation aircraft will be

permitted between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am. Thus, only

aircraft which generate 10 dB(A) less noise than today

will be allowed to take off from the airport during these

hours – 77 dB(A) instead of 87 dB(A), with the former

equivalent to the noise generated by a bus while driving

in an urban environment.

How is the Environmental Protection Ministry kept

informed about noise violations in Ben Gurion Airport?

We are connected online to the noise and flight track

monitoring system at the airport and its vicinity so that we

are updated in real time about noise levels. This information

allows us to conduct analyses and assessments, to review

the current situation, to discover weak points and to makerecommendations for improvement.The monthly reports

are also circulated among all relevant local authorities in

the area to assure maximum transparency so that there

is good cooperation between the Airports Authority, the

ministry and the surrounding municipalities.




32


It may be a well-kept secret or just a general

misapprehension, but the fact is that desertification

does not generally take place in deserts. A

conference titled "Deserts and Desertification:

Challenges and Opportunities," scheduled to take

place in Israel’s Negev desert on November 6-9,

2006, will set out to prove just this.

According to the concept document prepared for

the conference, “policy-makers and stakeholders

need to remember that the United Nations

Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

is an agreement to combat desertification,

not deserts. Indeed, the same conditions that

make deserts ostensibly inhospitable for human

habitation also endow them with special, often

unexploited advantages, due to their distinctive

agricultural potential (longer or multiple growing

seasons), access to solar radiation and eco-

tourism opportunities.”

The conference, sponsored by the Blaustein

Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion

University, and the United Nations Convention

to Combat Desertification - Annex IV Nations,

will bring together some 300 experts from about

20 countries, including scientists, government

officials, practitioners and local community

representatives.

Conference Objectives

It is widely recognized that desertification is an

acute problem, responsible for a wide variety of

environmental, economic and social ills, including

loss of agricultural productivity, famine, population

displacement and escalation of poverty. The

conference will deal with the natural and human

drivers of desertification and the steps that can

be taken to confront and ameliorate them. At

the same time, it will deal with the flip side of the

challenge of "combating desertification," nam

the opportunity to develop productive

sustainable economic alternatives in dryland

will consider the effectiveness of different initia

to combat desertification and will high

available opportunities for ensuring quality o

and sustainable livelihoods in drylands.

Academic and professional sessions will

complemented by field trips, focusing

local efforts to combat desertification andagricultural and economic development initia

in the local semi-arid and arid regions.

Why Israel?

Israel is a unique venue for an internatio

conference on deserts and desertifica

When the state was first established 58 y

ago, much of its semi-arid region was degra

and the Negev desert in the south pushed its

northward. A combination of drylands agricult

water management technologies, afforesta

and economic initiatives has helped to m

much of this land productive.

Israel’s leading desertification institute, The Ja

Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research of

Ben Gurion University of the Negev, enga

in a broad spectrum of desert research an

a world leader in desertification research.

renowned institution, located in Israel’s Ne

desert highlands, is the perfect setting fo

international conference on desertification.

Why Now?

2006 marks the tenth anniversary of the ratifica

of the United Nations Convention to Com

Desertification. 2006 also marks the Internatio

Year of Deserts and Desertification, declared

the United Nations General Assembly. Israe

one of the first countries to sign and ratify

Desertification Convention in 1996, heededcall of the General Assembly to celebrate the

and to support public awareness activities rela

to desertification by hosting an internatio

convention in its own Negev desert.

"Deserts and Desertification:Challenges and OpportunitiesINTERNATIONAL

COOPERATION

AAn international conference in Israel will

distinguish between deserts and desertifica-

tion as it highlights the challenges and op-

portunities inherent in the world’s drylands

esert landscapes top to bottom.

Photos: Ronen Alkalay,

Motti Sela, Yoav Hagoel



33

Alon Tal

Blaustein Institutesfor Desert ResearchChairperson, LocalOrganizing Committee

of the internationalconference on "Desertsand Desertification:Challenges andOpportunities"

When the Earth Summit convened in 1992,

two world treaties which address "first-world"

concerns of climate change and biodiversity

preservation were initialed. Yet many of the

developing nations demanded a third treaty to

attack the real obstacle to sustainability in their

countries – poverty. Combating desertification

was considered a compromise surrogate. Thefact is that over forty percent of the indigent

people on the planet live on drylands, and

desertification is decimating the economies of

dozens of indigent nations throughout Africa.

This dynamic is manifested in the full name

of the 1994 treaty that ultimately emerged

– the "United Nations Convention to Combat

Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious

Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in

Africa" – or typically the "UNCCD".

Israel, long heralded as an international leaderin innovations to prevent desertification, signed

and ratified the UNCCD in 1996. As one of the

only nations that had seriously embraced

the issue of "rolling back the desert," its viewswere highly influential in the initial negotiations

and its opinions were sought out and

respected in subsequent efforts to expedite

implementation.

While some 190 nations ultimately signed the

treaty and joined the UNCCD framework,

progress over the past decade has beendisappointing, due for the most part to

inadequate funding. According to the treaty,

wealthier nations are expected to support the

specific activities outlined by poorer nations to

combat their desertification problem.

The lack of progress was highlighted this

past October in Nairobi when a thousand

representatives of the parties to the convention

convened for the third meeting of the “COP”

(the Conference of the Parties) to focus on

implementation. Yet initial signs of progress

emerged: China is making enormous efforts,

planting millions of hectares of trees a year,

some 49 African nations submitted programs lastyear with measures to stop desertification with

special funding from the Global Environmental

Facility, several African nations presented

impressive projects. But the general absence of

funding leaves most African countries with little

improvement in trends during the past decade,

with most progress relegated to paper – rather

than restored or healing drylands.

Since the initial period of negotiations, Israel has

been represented by Professor Uriel Safriel – an

internationally renowned ecologist and oneof the two authors of the Millenium Report's

Drylands section. Thanks to his personal expertise

and integrity, the country still enjoys reasonable

stature and recognition among the community

of UNCCD diplomats. But as opposed to other

Western nations, Israel has not yet drafted an

action plan, has not dedicated additional

resources to assisting developing countries and

has not established a coordinated government

framework for addressing the issue locally.

The United Nations General Assembly declaredthe year 2006 to be the International Year of

Deserts and Desertification. This constitutes an

opportunity for Israel to reinvigorate its efforts

to address local desertification issues and to

provide more meaningful assistance to the

many destitute drylands nations throughout the

world. An international professional conference

will be held at Sde Boqer in November 2006showcasing Israel's innovations in afforestation

and agriculture. This is not enough. At the

very least, an inter-ministerial task force should

be established and an Israeli "Action Plan"

launched. As much as any other country on

the planet, Israel has indeed made its desert

bloom. But it is time to move forward to ensure

that these achievements are not lost, but

consolidated in a systematic, multi-faceted

national policy. Moreover, the lessons learned

should be shared with a planet thirsty to benefit

from the many blossoms emerging from Israel's

desert experience.

An estimated 344 million

people live in the world's

deserts, but a full 1,765million make their homes in

non-desert drylands (semi-

arid and dry subhumid

climates). The challenge of

sustainable development is

therefore twofold:• To exploit the opportuni–

ties inherent in desertdrylands without compro–

mising the ecosystem

services that support

their inhabitants or theirunique characteristics;

• To achieve economic

expansion for the benefit

of the population while

avoiding development

decisions that can lead

to desertification in non-

desert drylands.

Hopefully, the experts andstakeholders that will gather

in Israel in November 2006will pinpoint some ways in

which this double challenge

can be met.

For further details,

please see: http://www.

desertopportunities.org/site/

Combating Desertification –Reviving an Environmental Commitment

Photo: Motti Sela




34

It takes vision to transform a tragedy into an

opportunity for change, for making things better.

In 1997 four Australian athletes who had come

to Israel to participate in the Maccabiah Games

lost their lives when a footbridge over the Yarkon

River collapsed. In Israel, the disaster brought the

issue of water pollution to the top of the publicagenda and led to a flurry of research studies

and surveys about the river. Yet the impacts of

the disaster were not confined to Israel alone.

Upon returning to Australia after the games,

Phillip Foxman, a member of the Australian Jewish

community, met with Ian Kiernan, Chairman of

Clean Up the World, to discuss the possibility of

setting up Clean Up Israel within the framewo

the international organization. This is how Cl

Up Israel was born.

What is Clean Up Israel?

Clean Up Israel is a non-profit organization

a member of Clean Up the World, a commu

based environmental program that inspires

empowers individuals and communities f

every corner of the globe to clean up, fix up

conserve their environment. Since the first Cl

Up the World event in 1993, millions of volunt

have pitched in to make the world a clea

place.

Focusing on Clean Up Israe

Publicto the

a FaceWith



35

In Israel, building partnerships between

business sponsors, governmental and

non-governmental organizations, local

authorities and educational institutions is

of top importance. As General Director

of Clean Up Israel, Israeli-born Eli Hadar

is intent on devoting his second career

to raising environmental awareness by

helping to build such partnerships after

retiring as a colonel from 27 years ofarmy service.

The Vision

The vision of Clean Up Israel is simple:

to raise environmental awareness

and education, especially among the

country’s youth. Cleanups integrated

with ecological education and local

environmental activities are the tools

used to achieve this goal. During

the course of each cleanup, young

and old, civilians and soldiers areintroduced to some of the country’s

major environmental issues, including,

among others, pollution, coastal

Phillip FoxmanPresident

and Founder

Clean Up

Israel

a wide variety of bodies – army and

navy units, local authorities, government

ministries and green organizations.

An especially worthy partnership

was launched with the Ministry of

Environmental Protection within the

framework of the Clean Coast Project.

Officials of Clean Up Israel are quick to

point out the excellent relations and the

welcome cooperation that exist betweenthe organization and the ministry for the

benefit of the environment.

Major Campaigns

Members of Clean Up the World are

encouraged to organize cleanup

events on or around the 3rd weekend

in September (Clean Up the World

Weekend), but any time of the year

is considered the right time for the

environment. In Israel, activities do

indeed take place all year round butwith a focus on the period before

the Passover holiday (March-April),

traditionally a time of physical cleaning

for the Jewish people, and during the

time of the High Holy Days (in September),

a time of spiritual cleansing.

Every year, Clean Up Israel invites the

public to join the international cleanup

campaign in September and to take

an active part in additional events

throughout the year. Preparations are

often coordinated with such bodies as

the Ministry of Environmental Protection,

the Nature and Parks Authority and the

Ministry of Education. The response to the

simple call "Clean Up Israel!!! Do the Right

Thing" has been excellent, with numerous

campaigns focusing on local cleanups

and beach cleanups, recycling and

resource recovery projects, educational

campaigns, competitions, exhibitions

and much more – all aimed at raising

environmental awareness among the

public and motivating all sectors of the

population to do something about theenvironment.

For more information and a photo–

graphic history of just some of the

events that have been organized in

Israel in recent years, please click on

www.cleanupisrael.org.il

damage, protection of animals and

local history. The rationale behind this

approach is that a person who takes

part in such activities will be exposedto vital environmental issues and will be

motivated to protect and enhance the

quality of the environment.Partnering with Other Organizations for

a Cleaner Israel

Side by side with the events and

campaigns directly initiated and

organized by Clean Up Israel, the

organization responds to requests from

Simple actions by simple people – thisis what Clean Up Israel is all about.

Simple actions, such as cleaning up

a street or a local park, can have a

snowball effect, as proved by the

Australian example. I have seen

what people power can do to make

changes in Australia, drawing in not

only volunteers, but politicians, indus-

trialists and the media. The same can

happen – and is already beginning to

happen – in Israel. In fact, over the

past six months alone, some 10,000people took part in cleanup cam-

paigns throughout Israel – whether

students, soldiers or ordinary citizens.

There is no doubt about it – if you be-

lieve, you can make things happen.

Special

Environmental

Award to Mr.Phillip Foxman

In December 2005, Mr. Phillip Foxman

was awarded a Certificate of

Recognition for Special Activity as

part of an annual award ceremony

to voluntary organizations, groups and

individuals organized by the Ministry

of Environmental Protection and the

National Council for Voluntarism in

Israel. The certificate was awarded to

Mr. Foxman in recognition of his special

contribution to Israel’s environment

as expressed in the establishment of

"Clean Up Israel," in his extraordinary

voluntary activities and his personal

investment of both time and money in

promoting environmental education

and awareness in Israel.



Acacia in a desert landscape.

Photo: Motti Sela

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