Let There Be Water summary

Desert covers 60 percent of Israel, a nation where annual rainfall is far from plentiful. And yet, Israel does not suffer water shortages. With enough surplus water to export to neighboring nations, Israel could teach other countries a thing or two about wise water usage.

It all starts with Israel’s appreciation of the need to respect water. Droughts, a common occurrence when living in the desert, make it hard for any Israeli to take water for granted. On top of this, the mindful use of water is taught in schools, where students learn strategies to minimize water usage.

But water mindfulness in Israel goes even further back. Jewish prayers for rain at certain times of the year – said three times each day – have been recited for centuries.

Water has even featured on the country’s currency and postage stamps. The five-shekel note celebrates Israel’s National Water Carrier, the country’s largest water project, while stamps commemorate ancient water systems.

Water mindfulness has been a crucial aspect of managing water shortages and provided the foundations for the nation’s long-term plan for self-sufficiency in water usage. In the country’s early days, Israel’s greatest water resources were located in the far north, along the border with Lebanon and Syria.

However, this wasn’t where there was most need for water. The heavily populated area of Tel Aviv, as well as the southern Negev desert, didn’t have enough water to maintain a growing population or support profitable agriculture – a big problem.

So what did Israel do? Through the development of a massive infrastructure project, surplus water from the north of Israel was transported to the central and southern regions.

Israel’s National Water Carrier project was completed in 1964 and represented a giant leap forward toward water self-sufficiency. But even more innovation was still to come.