With the support of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an international conference on desertification is currently being held in Israel. Over 200 people from 30 countries have come to Israel to learn about "Deserts and Desertification: Challenges and Opportunities." The conference, which highlights Israel's role as a leader in the field of desertification, was organized by the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, together with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification - Annex IV nations (UNCCD) and, as mentioned, in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Speaking at the opening plenary session, Ambassador Gregoire de Kalbermatten, Deputy General Secretary of the United Nations Conference on Combatting Desertification (UNCCD), lauded Israel's success in developing solutions for desert living. He presented a statement prepared by the United Nations Development Programme that acknowledged Israel's role as a leader in dryland agriculture:
"The United Nations Development Programme is pleased to have collaborated with Israel in a number of ways. Israel’s technical prowess and technological innovation are well-known around the globe, and provide us with lessons about how to achieve the potential of the world’s drylands. They have not only set standards in production, they have become experts in meeting the standards required by global markets."
- Statement by the UNDP
This is the first time that a UN General Assembly resolution has welcomed an Israeli initiative on an issue that is high on the global agenda and it comes as an acknowledgement of the State of Israel's leadership role in the worldwide battle against desertification.
The four-day conference provides an opportunity to address the effectiveness of different initiatives employed to combat desertification and to share a variety of options available for ensuring the quality of life and sustainable livelihoods in drylands. In addition, organizer Prof. Alon Tal explains, "We are attempting to assess different domestic policies and strategies in countries affected by desertification. We have brought together social activists and scientists, technicians and politicians, so that they can confront the urgency of combatting desertification."
University President, Prof. Rivka Carmi, welcomed the UN initiative and the guests from around the world. "Near this hall lies the gravesite of David Ben-Gurion, visionary founder and first prime minister of the State of Israel. He is buried on the edge of the cliff overlooking the Zinn Canyon because he believed that the desert holds all the potential and hope for the future," she said. "Combating desertification and making the Negev desert bloom were Ben-Gurion's passionate missions and this conference is also serving as a living memorial to this great man's ideals."
“We are very proud that the Israeli event marking the year of Desert and Desertification has been organized by the BIDR. This is just part of the ongoing commitment to realize the mission of BGU and to contribute to the development of the Negev and other drylands of the world,” said Director of the BIDR, Prof. Avigad Vonshak. "Our researchers represent Israel on a number of multi-lateral and international committees. By hosting the conference here in Sede Boqer we are able to highlight the Institutes' role in the worldwide effort to stem desertification."
For more information see the conference website at www.desertification.bgu.ac.il