Israel has faced its fair share of drought and water shortage. Over the years, Israel has had to develop technologies and methods that preserve, conserve and protect its water supply in the arid Middle East.  Israel’s innovative water management strategies benefit its people while also conserving a valuable resource.

Perhaps the Western states that are struggling with drought can learn from Israel’s experiences and technologies.   In fact, in 2015, The Arizona Republic and Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute appeared to come to the same conclusion, hosting a 2-day event featuring Israeli water expert Miriam “Miki” Haran.  The Republic noted:

Israel’s natural surface and groundwater sources provide less than 1 million acre-feet of water per year – or only about half of the nation’s requirement. That supply is several times smaller than what fewer than 7 million Arizonans use, and yet Israel must supply 8 million people.

Five ways Israel manages its short water supply.

Here are some “water smart” things that Israel does:

1.  Recycling.

Over 80% of water in Israel is reused. Wastewater is filtered and reused in water plants – such as in the Shafdan wastewater treatment plant.

2.  Drip irrigation.

Did you know that drip irrigation technology was developed in Israel?  It’s an effective way to water agricultural crops while also conserving water.  Drip irrigation waters plants at their roots, avoiding water evaporation, creating food production and water security.

3.  Desalination.

Desalination is the process of converting seawater to drinking water.  Israel is a leading force in desalination, with the Sorek plant being the largest seawater desalination facility in the world.

4.  River rehabilitation.

Israelis believe that it’s important to take care of what it has, which is why cleaning contaminated rivers from waste or pollution is an important strategy.  Cleanup efforts include physically and chemically treating the water, as well as filtering the contamination.

5.  Creating water out of thin air.

You would think it’s impossible to create water from thin air. Not true! Watergen is an Israeli company that extracts drinking water from air by converting and filtering it via a special machine. Watergen has recently installed a generator at the Hard Rock community of the Navajo Nation in Arizona.  The Times of Israel reports that the Watergen project “aims to address a critical drinking water shortage within Hard Rock community where nearly 10,000 families across Navajo Nation lack access to running water.”  According to The Times, “The Watergen GEN-M generators produce up to 211 gallons (800 liters) of purified drinking water per day, depending on climate conditions. The Israeli startup will monitor the project’s effectiveness in the Hard Rock Community and evaluate whether it can be replicated elsewhere within the Navajo Nation.”