As
the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael - Jewish National Fund (hereinafter: the KKL-JNF)
sees Israel’s freshwater streams as a natural and scenic treasure and a vital
social, tourism, historical, spiritual, and ecological resource, it will
continue, together with its historic partners, to do everything in its power to
rehabilitate the streams. The
KKL-JNF seeks to restore
Israel
’s streams for the public’s benefit and enjoyment, as well as to protect
nature. The KKL-JNF sees freshwater stream rehabilitation as a national
initiative and a historic project as part of its ongoing mission of redeeming
the
Land
of
Israel
.
Israel
’s freshwater streams have always
constituted an integral part of
Israel
’s cultural landscape, and their rehabilitation is a modern-day expression of
the mission of redeeming the Land. Freshwater
streams are sites for activities such as swimming, fishing, sailing, hiking,
recreation, and a quiet place for prayer and contemplation. The KKL-JNF will
strive to meet the diverse demands of the public, as well as to improve the
streams’ physical, hydrological, and ecological functioning.
Each
stream has its own character and properties. As such, stream rehabilitation must
be founded on a detailed master plan that gives expression to each stream’s
special character and physical environment, containing its ecosystem and the
needs of local residents. At the
same time, there are fundamental, unifying principles that characterize all
KKL-JNF rehabilitation activities.
Freshwater
streams should represent a window into
Israel
’s recent and ancient past, and rehabilitation activity must add to the
transparency of that window to the historical landscape that it reflects.
According to the philosophy that has emerged over the years, the objective of
freshwater stream rehabilitation is not to replicate the streams’ primeval
characteristics, but rather to enable their ecosystems to recover and transform
them into balanced, yet dynamic entities aided by natural processes.
Those
same freshwater streams that lie in the heart of
Israel
’s crowded center obligate the KKL-JNF to personal and community involvement
in their ongoing planning and management. The KKL-JNF sees the streams’
environments as total and complex ecosystems, the balance between whose
components must be preserved.
Israel
’s freshwater streams play an important role as buffer zones between urban
blocs, and they make an important contribution to shaping the relationship
between
Israel
’s open spaces and built-up zones. Therefore their rehabilitation must
improve, and subsequently preserve and maintain this delicate relationship.
Furthermore, streams play a vital and central role in the drainage of
floodwaters. Therefore, their rehabilitation must combine all of the
above-stated functions in planning and implementation.
The
rehabilitation of
Israel
’s freshwater stream requires the preservation of their Mediterranean
character, manifested in the abundance of water in the winter (flooding) and the
gradual lessening of water during the dry season. This seasonal hydrological
model is the foundation for the unique biological dynamic of freshwater streams
in our region. The creek bed is accompanied by the unique properties of the
land, which is also an integral part of the stream’s ecosystem.
The
stream rehabilitation process is a prolonged on, stretching over years, and its
success depends upon a combination of activities and pollution prevention
measure along its drainage basin.
Furthermore, it is a process that crosses borders and requires the addressing of
pollution sources along the entire drainage path, including some lying in
jurisdictions that are not under
Israel
’s administration or sovereignty. The
KKL-JNF will take on part of these activities as per its budgetary and
professional capacity, including improving water quality.
The
Israel Stream Authority was established in 1985 to
adva
nce cooperation between various bodies whose objective is to bring about the
successful restoration of
Israel
’s freshwater streams. As an organization with professional expertise and
operational capabilities at its disposal, that is prepared to lead the national
rehabilitation effort and cooperate with all parties involved, the KKL-JNF
remains committed to joint activity with government agencies, local governments,
public interest groups, scientists, and private partners to
adva
nce stream rehabilitation.
As
such, a distinction must be drawn between rehabilitation of year-round streams,
whose clean water flow must be restored, and seasonal streams, wherein
rehabilitation must focus on natural systems. Despite the fact that seasonal
streams differ in character from perennial streams, many of the KKL-JNF’s
stream rehabilitation principles apply equally to seasonal streams.
The
KKL-JNF’s freshwater stream restoration policy is founded on the four
cornerstones of sustainable development: ecology, economics, social welfare, and
inter-generational responsibility. These will be addressed as follows.