ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Agriculture Minister Oded Forer (Yisrael Beytenu) called on PM Naftali Bennett to convene the government in order to prepare an emergency plan in case of flooding as soon as possible in light of the devastating floods in Europe, which have so far led to the deaths of over 180 citizens.

In a letter on Monday, Forer wrote that “the recent events in Germany and Belgium during the past week are a painful reminder of the urgent need for Israel to prepare for flooding this coming winter. We all remember the severe flooding in Nahariya, in the Tikva neighborhood [in Tel Aviv], and in the Hatzor Air force base in the winter of 2020.”
Forer warned that “the Ministry of Agriculture, which is responsible for the country’s drainage systems, along with relevant bodies in Israel and around the world, has been warning for years that widespread construction along with intensifying climate change will exacerbate Israel’s flooding problem in the near future.”

Forer noted that his staff was holding meetings with the Finance Ministry in order to secure funding for current plans, but that these plans are not sufficient. Forer also referenced a recent State Comptroller report that stressed these insufficiencies, along with the need to instigate a fundamental change in construction planning that will address the growing threat.

According to the Agriculture Ministry announcement, one of the recent construction plans’ biggest problems is the immense amount of open spaces that are being developed. The large amount of cement is making these spaces impenetrable to water. These projects are being approved by relevant bodies despite completely ignoring drainage issues. In the case of heavy rains over a brief period, such as has occurred in Germany, the water will not be drained properly and will create heavy damage.

Forer concluded that the lack of long-term funding of national drainage solutions is a recipe for disaster, and called on Bennett to take the necessary financial steps in order to solve the problem.