CAIRO: The Israeli Environmental Protection Ministry has allocated some 20 million shekels, roughly $5 million, to help finance river rehabilitation activities. The move comes after Friend of the Earth Middle East reported that the Jordan River faces the possibility of drying up within the coming few years if action is not taken. The new funding will also focus on cleaning up areas around rivers in order to “transform” them into “public attractions as leisure and recreation areas.” “River rehabilitation must be a central national mission after years in which river's served as Israel's polluted backyard,” said Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan in a statement from the ministry. The new funding will help the ministry work with the Nature and Parks Authority to help buttress the potential disaster of rivers. The money will focus on drainage and efforts to ensure the survival of Israel's water sources. Erdan added in the press statement that his ministry and the Israeli government is “spearheading a significant change in the treatment of Israel's rivers. For years, river channels have served as the polluted and neglected backyards of Israel; today, we are taking steps to transform our rivers into Israel's display window and green lung.” It is all part of the Israeli government's continued effort to “green” the country, which has already seen a number of initiatives to reduce pollution and carbon emissions across the country. “We are emphasizing the rehabilitation of ecosystems and the return of the public to the river by means of educational activities and making the river accessible and attractive for visitors,” Erdan added. BM
