The Water Economy of Israel

Recently, the water sector has undergone major changes, amongst them: the growth of seawater desalination plants, the limiting of the supply of freshwater for agricultural purposes, the establishment of water and sewage corporations under the local authorities, the founding of a Governmental Water and Sewage Authority, and a recognition that we may be facing – what many have called – global climate change. Despite the successes, failures can also be identified in the water economy. The source of the failures is in the limited abilities, sometimes even readiness, of government agencies to completely fulfill the complex challenges that the economy presents. In the future, these tasks will be even more difficult; hence the importance of examining the structure of the water economy and its suitability for the job and especially the strengthening of public participation in its on-going activities.