Mekorot, Israel’s national water company, is participating in the global climate-change conference currently being held in Sharm e-Sheikh, Egypt, and will lead a special session on the water at the conference.
Mekorot is attending the conference as part of the official delegation of the Government of Israel and the Export Institute. World leaders and tens of thousands of representatives of governments, civil society organizations, academics and the business sector are attending the conference, which opened on Sunday and will last two weeks. The discussions will focus on commitments and projects to combat climate change and environmental impact. The Mekorot delegation to the conference was led by Yossi Yaakobi, the company’s vice president of engineering.
Mekorot talks about water at COP27
“When we talk about the consequences of climate change, the issue of water takes on great significance,” says the director of the Innovation Unit at Mekorot, Dudi Balsar, “When the water runs out, people panic and lose patience. This happened in Europe, which experienced its hottest summer in 500 years. In addition, in the United States, large rivers, like the Mississippi, are drying up.”
“When the water runs out, people panic and lose patience. This happened in Europe, which experienced its hottest summer in 500 years. In addition, in the United States, large rivers, like the Mississippi, are drying up.”
Director of the Innovation Unit at Mekorot, Dudi Balsar
“The water shortage is a phenomenon that will accompany us in the coming years,” adds Balsar. “We hear about it from delegations from countries like Italy, whose water balance has been negative for many years, and from other countries like Spain, England, Germany and even the Netherlands. Mekorot and Israel are in a very interesting position because we have succeeded in creating a positive water balance in a semi-desert country, and we are doing so in a way that is energy efficient. While other countries of the world were complacent, we solved the problem by producing water artificially by desalination and recycling wastewater for the benefit of agriculture. In addition, we have an efficient and advanced water management system in Israel, and this is what we are presenting to the world.”
Balsar adds that one of the issues that Mekorot intends to emphasize is the smart management of the national water system. “The uniqueness of Mekorot is also in the field of big data, the production of smart meters, and the management of the network digitally in order to operate the system more efficiently. This is very significant because of the growing need for the artificial production of water. These processes consume a great deal of energy, and we have the tools to help in this area as well.”
Translated by Alan Rosenbaum.