Transboundary Stream Restoration
Overview
The transboundary stream restoration project was launched to develop a constructive approach to restoring the quality of streams in Israel and Palestine, based on the development of watershed models that provide clear indications of contaminant loadings into streams, tailored to the unique ecological and geographical conditions of the local streams.
Two transboundary streams will be studied through bio-monitoring and watershed modeling. Some of the specific objectives of the project are:
- To develop a watershed model which can quantify the different sources of contaminants and their interactions for several area transboundary streams.
- To establish a biomonitoring program that will offer a more thorough characterization of ecological health in local transboundary streams and offer baseline values to assess future reduction strategies.
To assess the effectiveness of different nonpoint and point waste treatment strategies in use to identify a cost-effective waste treatment strategy given the goal of river restoration in low-flow, effluent dominated stream conditions.
The ultimate aim of this research is to lay the foundations for an effective river restoration strategy for Israel and Palestine. This research is funded by the Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Research Team
- The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University, Sde Boqer Campus, Israel
- The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
- Water and Environmental Development Organization (WEDO), Bethlehem, PA
- Tel Aviv University, The Institute for Nature Conservation Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Dept. of Zoology, Tel Aviv, Israel