DROUGHT IN ISRAELDROUGHT IN ISRAELMany countries in the world currently have a water deficiency due to severe drought. All droughts are not created equal, and different circumstances lead to every drought. In the state of Israel, their drought is caused by its geography and climate. The country is divided into semi-arid, arid and hyper-arid regions, with at least six rainless months per year. Rainfall variations occur year to year, with periodsof multi-year drought or near drought interspersed with periods of heavy rainfall. The total rainfall experienced in a year does not normally provide enough water due to an increasing population. This problem has been present ever since the founding of the State, creating massive challenges to its people (for example, water loss and unfertile soil).The water issue is understood by Israelis to be a major problem, from the farmers who have a tough time watering their crops to businessmen who suffer frominflated prices of water. This has motivated people to develop technology to solve the problems caused by drought. For a country that is 60 percent desert with its Dead Sea continuing to shrink, Israel plans it water needs carefully in the event ofa drought. Israel is sending fresh water to the south with a water carrier, developing software to help detect leaks and computerized drip irrigation, and desalinating seawater to more efficiently use resources. These measures have been somewhat successful in reducing the problems of water loss.National Water CarrierThe first proposal to help prevent drought was the creation of the National water carrier. This idea was proposed by the first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion and then brought to fruition by the investment of the people of Israel.The purpose of the National Water Carrier is to bring water from the wetter parts of Israel to the dryer part using pipes for transportation. This continues to be the primary solution Israel employs to relieve their water trouble. The water is pumped from the Galilee and is generally piped to the dry south. “The National Water Carrier connects the Sea of Galilee with Israel's water system.” (Cited from Nathan Cohen’s book “ISRAEL’S NATIONAL WATER CARRIER “) Construction of the final phase of the system began in 1959 and was finished in 1964. During this time, most of the Israelis were busy burrowing into the ground to construct the water carrier. “At its peak, one of every 14 able-bodied people in the country was digging, welding, pipefitting or otherwise working on the new water system.” (Cited from “50 years later, National Water Carrier still an inspiration”)When completed, the water carrier successfully transferred naturally collected water from the Galilee to the rest of the state. Not only that, but over its 50 years of its service this water has been the primary of freshwater in the country. At the same time, Israel has managed to preserve the natural habitat and ecosystem of the sea of the Galilee. In fact, from an environmental point of view, the water carrier is better than desalinating ocean water since it provides freshwater without affecting oceanicecosystems of aquatic animals. The only downside of the national water carrier is that it is strictly dependent on a limited water source, which could lead to the contraction of the Galilee if too much water is taken onto the carrier. Drip irrigationThe second approach Israel employs to alleviate its water issues has been to use drip irrigation. The system in use was created by the Israeli engineer, Simcha Blass. His idea was inspired by a tiny leak he noticed in a water pipe. Eventually, he observed this water was sufficient to enable the growth of a large tree with minimal evaporation. The main purpose of drip irrigation is to water plants in the most efficient way. Besides providing a more efficient way to water crops, this also frees up water for drinking purposes. This system is sometimes referred to as micro irrigation, i.e. a system of multiple tubes emitting with small openings so that water feeds the desired plants slowly through its roots. “Micro-irrigation is an irrigation method that applies water slowly to the roots of plants, by depositing the water either on the soil surface or directly to the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes.” (Cited from “ Micro Irrigation”)By delivering measured amounts of water directly to a crop’s roots, the amount of water lost to other plants and to evaporation or to undesired plants is therefore minimized. This optimal water irrigation system was an inspiration for a nationalistic movement, which aimed to further help Israeli settlers plant crops in the harsh desert. Naty Barak, Netafim’s director of global corporate responsibility, states that drip irrigation can easily water plants optimally, with 90 percent enteringthe plant instead of the 50 percent usual absorbance. “But drip irrigation regularly exceeds 90 percent efficiency, according to the company. All told, the technology represents a 30 percent to 50 percent savings on water used for irrigation.” (Cited from “ business booming at drip irrigation company”)Not only does this system decrease usage of water in agriculture, it also saves on energy. Due to the slow process of the dripping, there is no need for a large amount energy in the system. With the large savings of water, drip irrigation has largely assisted the national water carrier by depleting water use in agriculture, providing more drinking water to people. However, drip irrigation can easily backfire when rodents ruin the tube system. Rodents can make holes, which can germinate unwanted plants besides wasting water.DesalinationThe third method used in drought prevention in Israel is desalination of seawater. It was decided by Israeli hydrologists that the construction of desalination plants to provide freshwater from an unlimited water source, reducing the water loss problem even more. The Israeli government therefore decided to invest in building Soreq desalination plant in Ashdod. Construction started in 2011 and finished in 2013. The main purpose of this desalination plant is to extract freshwaterfrom seawater and use it for drinking and agriculture. The process of desalination consists of water evaporation. The evaporation filters the water out of the ocean minerals and after condensation, pure water isproduced. Desalination technology has proven very successful in Israel.