As part of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center’s ongoing efforts to compare water management experiences of Israel and Arizona, the WRRC has scheduled two lectures this spring and summer.
On May 21, Uri Shani, Ph.D., a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, presented “The Red-Dead Conduit — A Regional Approach to Water Scarcity.” Shani served as general manager and chairman of the Israeli Governmental Water and Sewage Authority (2006-2011), chairman of the steering committee for the Red Sea — Dead Sea Conduit (2007-2015). He is the founder, major shareholder and chairman of NDrip, which has developed a novel irrigation technology that combines flood irrigation infrastructure and costs with drip irrigation advantages. His lecture provided an overview of the water challenges faced by Israel and its neighbors and what Israel has been doing to address them. He spoke of the Israeli-Jordanian-Palestinian agreement to develop a pilot Red Sea desalination plant in Jordan and exchange water. This project exemplifies Shani’s premise that regional approaches can lead to water solutions rather than conflicts. The presentation slides can be accessed at www.wrrc.arizona.edu/events/brown-bag/policy-principles-red-dead-conduit-and-regional-solutions.
On Wednesday, July 18 at 8:30 a.m., the WRRC will host a seminar by two experts from the Arava region of Israel. David Lehrer, executive director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and Dorit Davidovich Banet, founder and CEO of Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy, will present “Food, Water, and Energy in the Arava Valley: Turning disadvantage to advantage in the hyper-arid climate of the region.” More information on the seminar, which will be held at the WRRC, 350 N. Campbell Avenue, can be found at www.wrrc.arizona.edu/brown-bag-seminars or 621-9591.
“Israel is recognized globally for its water management and technology accomplishments. It is always exciting to host Israeli water and environmental professionals, who are most gracious about sharing their expertise, as well as interested in learning more about the water issues of our region,” says WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal, Ph.D.
