In Hebrew Mekorot means Fountain and this was the name chosen for the company which was founded in 1937 before the birth of the state of Israel. I had find water in the desert and there have been generous contributions.
In 1948, when the state of Israel was created, Mekorot became state property and an expression of a policy that has continued ever since. “There are two very solid pillars in Israel, one is security and the other is water management.“, he says clarion, Yizhak Aharonovich, its president. He believes that water use efficiency reduces economic uncertainty and is vital to human life.
Aharonovich was born in Jerusalem in 1950, his parents had arrived from Russia and he was a paratrooper in the army, Minister of Internal Security and Tourism until in 2015 he was appointed president of Mekorot which manages $700 million annually for new water use projects. Work with tech startups.
Efficiency in the use of water
The company provides the 80% of the country’s drinking water, operates 3,000 plants for the supply, purification of waste water and desalination, which it carries out using a technique known as reverse osmosis. Manage the aqueduct that carries water from the north to the center and south.
Aharonovich argues that there were two basic laws to make an orchard out of the desert: the 1955 Measurement Law which let people know how water was being used and encouraged rational use. And the same water law of 1959, which established that the non-state water and has promoted investments for the development of highly efficient technologies in agricultural irrigation, population use and reuse.
Aharonovich is a staunch opponent of flood irrigation instead of pivots, those long arms for sprinkler or drip irrigation.
Diego Berger, born in Buenos Aires and living in Israel, has been working at Mekorot since 1995. He is the coordinator of international projects. With climate change, Mekorot has been crowned as the greatest expert and make deals with governments.
In Argentina, Catamarca, La Rioja and Río Negro have signed an agreement for the development and implementation of a water master plan, while Formosa and Santa Cruz have agreed a consultancy and Santiago del Estero and Santa Fe have signed an agreement for the development of a future master plan water project. Is that in the country of Pampa Humida, Almost 70 percent of the national territory already has a water deficit.
The new paradigm
The works are financed by the Federal Investment Council which is fed by provincial contributions.
In the region, Mekorot has advanced general plans in two regions of Chile, Uruguay and Mexico. They have just signed agreements with Brazil. And in all cases they are projects by long-term, 30 years.
Aharonovich says this with climate change another paradigm has arrived: “Countries that have had plenty of rain today suffer from prolonged droughts and are likely to suffer from floods tomorrow.” In Italy they also collaborate in the conservation of aquifers and others in Morocco.
Many ask them about the desalination process, Aharonovich says it’s a last resort, even if in Israel desalinate 30% of the total water supply consumed in the country. 50% goes to agriculture. Obviously they reuse 85% of the water.
Israel still has 60% of its lands desert but according to the United Nations it is the the only country where the desert retreats. Aharonovich lets go that you have to help the water and highlights the technologies to make agriculture thrive in drought conditions, such as those applied in Argentina.
Source: Clarin
