Advanced International Training Program: Integrated Water Resource Management and Security in the Middle East

The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is the premier environmental teaching and research program in the Middle East, preparing future Arab and Jewish leaders to cooperatively solve the
region’s environmental challenges. Located in the heart of Israel’s Arava desert, the Arava Institute is a unique oasis of environmental education, research, and international cooperation. Students at the Arava Institute explore a range of environmental issues from a regional, interdisciplinary perspective while learning peace-building and leadership skills. The studies are international in scope, with a student body comprised of Jordanians, Palestinians, Israelis, North Americans as well as other nationalities. The Arava Institute gives Jewish, Arab and other students a unique opportunity to study and live together for an extended period of time; building networks and understanding that will enable future cooperative work and activism in the Middle East and beyond. Here, the idea that nature knows no political borders is more than a belief. It is a fact, a curriculum, and a way of life. The Institute is home to academic programs, research projects, public involvement, an active alumni network, and a 300-mile bike ride from Jerusalem to Eilat.