College - Author 1
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Department - Author 1
Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Earth Sciences
Date
11-2012
Primary Advisor
William Preston
Abstract/Summary
Israel’s water crisis is controlled by the availability and location of water resources that are affected by climate change and geopolitics in southwest Asia. Conflict between Israel and the Palestinian occupied territories in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have put strains on the allocation of water recourses. The goal of this research was to model how much a change in climate will affect the amount of available freshwater in Israel. Intensive research taken from Israel and the occupied territories was carried out to understand how the amount of precipitation, rainfall, and the rate of evaporation is affected by climate changes that causes a disturbance in water supply and water quality. Also, the impacts of geopolitical tension with Palestinians as well as land use behaviors were heavily researched to understand their effect on water resources. Compared to the current climate and water conditions, Israel is expected to become even more arid with a projected 0.36 degree Fahrenheit increase and will also suffer from a decrease by 20-25% below the present mean of annual rainfall. Many studies have proved that there is a clear correlation between rising temperatures results in decreasing water resources in Israel. Lake Kinneret and the Jordan Catchment, Israel’s main freshwater suppliers, are expected to follow a decreasing trend in precipitation and runoff. By 2020 374-661 million people in Israel will experience an increase of water stress. Even without the effect of climate change, the population in Israel is predicted to increase by 2.9 to 3.3 billion people by the year 2025. The results from this research reveal that climate change will have an affect on Israel’s water supply. With increased water resource stress, the people of Israel including the Palestinians in the occupied territories need to become aware of the impacts climate change has on their way of living before Israel is no longer fit for human inhabitance.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/nrmsp/28
Included in
Climate Commons, Fresh Water Studies Commons, Geography Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Sustainability Commons, Water Resource Management Commons