Israel: water shortage greater than previously thought

New plan calls for an investment of Euro 10.47 billion in the coming decade to develop water production and supply systems to deal with the dwindling precipitation and the rise in the salinity of the groundwater which considerably exceeds previous estimates, according to a master plan for water now being finalized.

The master plan, drafted by a Water Authority task force with the help of environmental organizations, was submitted this week to the National Planning and Building Council.

About 80 percent of this development will be financed by water prices; the state will provide the rest. But the rise in water prices will not need to be significant, as the number of consumers will rise, due to population increases.

Israel’s water consumption per capita has declined sharply, from more than 110 cubic meters annually in the past to 90 cubic meters today, mainly due to water-saving campaigns and the rise in water prices, the task force said.

Environmental organizations object to this conclusion, saying that water saving must be consistently encouraged. This could obviate the need for some desalination facilities, which, in addition to high costs, have negative environmental effects, such as energy consumption and occupying large areas of the coastal region.

But in any case, the master plan’s implementation faces significant stumbling blocks. One of these is the absence of a government body in charge of policy on issues like population growth and dispersal. The Water Authority also lacks the clout to ensure that enough desalination plants are built, and it is severely short of professional personnel.