Watering a thirsty planet

20 Feb 2011 Israel's advanced approaches to water scarcity position it perfectly to tap into markets targeting the world's most rapidly depleting resource.       The desalination plant in Hadera is the world's largest seawater reverse osmosis plant.

By I.C. Mayer Israel may be a land of milk and honey, but it is not blessed with an abundance of fresh water resources. In fact, the Sea of Galilee is the country's only natural lake and the rivers in Israel are quite modest in scale. Much of the southern half of Israel is desert and receives a meager amount of rainfall. Thus, the need to preserve and develop water resources has accompanied Israel since its formation - and even predated the establishment of the state. The need for water resources was already a subject of discussion in 1898 when the visionary of the Zionist movement, Theodor Herzl, met with the German emperor in the Holy Land. And in 1937, more than a decade prior to statehood, the Mekorot national water company was created. In the following decades, as part of Israel's efforts to address its water needs, Israeli companies have become world leaders in irrigation technology, water management and treatment, and desalination. If you like to read the whole article click: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs