Postponed Until June 2001

Collaborative Course of Allegheny College, American University, and the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies

With support from The Jewish National Fund

Abstract: This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to the political, economic and environmental aspects of resource scarcity. Israel and its neighbors are all semi-arid to hyper-arid countries, and all contend with extreme water deficits. The already strained relationships between these countries are further exacerbated by conflicting claims over shared water resources. We will examine water availability and use in Israel, and investigate the development of societies, both ancient and modern, under conditions of water scarcity. The course will include units in agricultural and water supply technologies, ancient desert societies, geopolitics of water - including water in the emerging Palestinian State, water resource economics and environmental problems associated with water.

The course consists of lecture and discussion sections, short field trips, and one 4-day field workshop. Special intensive discussion sections will be held consisting of 3 meetings focusing on 2 different topics (technology and international relations) in which students will have the opportunity to probe into issues with the course instructors. Also included in the course will be tours of Jerusalem and of Masada and the Dead Sea basin.

1. Depart for Israel

1. Arrive in Israel, evening in Jerusalem- Trips to Jerusalem will probably be replaced with other locations.

1. Morning in Jerusalem, visit to Holy Sites, Drive to Arava Institute, New Year’s Eve on Kibbutz Ketura

1. Welcome to Arava Institute and tour with Arava Institute Director Dr. Noam Gressel
2. Lecture 1: Introduction - Water resources in Israel
3. Lecture 2: Water consumers - domestic, industrial and agricultural uses
4. Discussion section 1

1. Lecture 3: Hydrology of the Arava with hydrologist Mr. Alon Ben-Gal
2. Half-day field trip to ‘Uvda Valley: Ancient civilizations and water scarcity, with Mr. Uzi Avner, Archeologist, Israel Antiquities Authority
3. Lecture 4: Development of regional economy in a water-scarce environment

1. Discussion section 2

1. Half-day field trip around Kibbutz Ketura: Water and Agricultural Technologies for a small desert community: desalination and sewage treatment (with visit to Ketura desalination site and sewage treatment ponds with Arava Institute director Dr. Noam Gressel) and agriculture in arid regions, with agronomist Dr. Elaine Soloway

1. Lecture 5: Modern human settlement in arid environments - long term sustainability?
2. Discussion section 3

1. Half-day field trip to Ein Evrona: Ecological aspects of water scarcity and human-nature competition over water resources with Dr. Benny Shalmon, Biologist, Nature and Parks Authority
2. Visit to the Underwater Observatory in Eilat with Mr. Jeff Weilgus, Ecological economist, Arava Institute and University of Haifa
3. Free evening in Eilat

1. Lecture 6: Water economics with Mr. Jeff Weilgus

1. Lecture 7: Sources of water pollution
2. Group discussion: "Week in Review"

1. Free Day - Optional hike in vicinity of Kibbutz Ketura with Arava Institute students

1. Breakfast on the cliffs of the Ramon Crater
2. Visit to archeological site of Avdat - a Nabatean city with runoff agriculture
3. Runoff Agriculture Experimental Farm with Dr. Pedro Berliner, water scientist, Wyler Center for Runoff Agriculture, Blaustein Center for Desert Studies

22. Site tour
23. Short movie
24. Visit to laboratory and experiments

1. Desert Architecture - Short walk through environmentally-designed neighborhood
2. David Ben-Gurion’s tomb
3. Evening - Kibbutz Meshabe Sade Guest House

1. Besor River nature reserve and JNF storm water collection site
2. Park Eshkol
3. Water Museum at Kibbutz Nir Am
4. Dryland forestry in JNF Yattir Forest
5. Evening - Yattir Forester’s House

1. Masada
2. Ein Gedi - meeting with Attn. Gidon Bromberg, Israeli Director, Friends of the Earth, Middle East, on the topic of water agreements between Israel and her neighbors
3. Dead Sea
4. Evening - Yattir Forester’s House

1. Jewish National Fund "Peace Road" via fish farms at Neot HaKikar
2. Jewish National Fund Agricultural Research and Development Station in Hatzeva
3. Return to Ketura

1. Lecture 8 - Water resources and regional conflict (Israel and her neighbors)
2. Lecture 9 - Water in Palestine with Prof. Yousef Abu Maylah, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Deputy Director of the Water Research Center, Al Azhar University, Gaza, Palestine

1. Discussion section 4

1. Lecture 10 - Technology for increasing water supply - Is Israel’s water potential infinite?

1. Solutions to Israel’s current water shortage - student debate

1. Discussion section 5

1. Free day

1. Group discussion: "Week in Review"
2. Conclusions and review

1. Final Exam
2. Evening in Tel Aviv
3. Return to the United States