The center led by the meteorological service will make it possible to predict in detail the effect of global warming on our region
A key step in preparing for the climate crisis. The government approved yesterday (Sunday) the establishment of a national climate calculation center, which will be operated by the meteorological service at the Ministry of Transportation, under the guidance of a steering committee consisting of the chief scientists of the partner government ministries and the chairman of the climate committee of the National Academy of Sciences.
In light of the need for accurate data to deal with the climate crisis and its widespread consequences, the ministries of transportation, environmental protection, energy, innovation, science and technology, agriculture and the water authority have decided to allocate approximately 20 million shekels in the next five years, with the aim of establishing a national research infrastructure, to study climate change in Israel at a high resolution .
Climate change has extensive consequences for all sectors of the economy - on agriculture, on the energy economy, on transportation, on the water economy and drainage basins, on biological systems and ecosystems, on the built environment and even on national resilience and national security.
While the government is working diligently, as part of an international effort to try and stop the change, it must at the same time act to prepare wisely for the changes, which unfortunately will occur in the coming decades. Government ministries are engaged in mapping climate risks and building sectoral preparedness plans, under the guidance of the National Preparedness Administration in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, but it is necessary to base actions and decisions, both regarding prevention and adaptation, on in-depth research and scientific insights.
For detailed simulations, significant computing resources are required - a "supercomputer" with thousands of processors and enormous amounts of storage resources. The climate calculation center based on a "supercomputer" will make it possible to strengthen climate research and establish an open database of detailed climate forecasts. This, with the aim of creating a proper knowledge infrastructure for decision-making and dealing with climate change in Israel.
יSheral is in an area that is warming faster than the global average, andVery sensitive to climate change - partly due to the limited natural water resources and proximity to the desert belt. Within the limited geographical space of Israel, there exists a wide topographical and climatic range, which requires the execution of high-resolution simulations, in order to properly describe the local meteorological processes and climate changes along the coastline, in the mountain ranges, in the Valley and in the Arabah.
In light of his experience and expertise in running climate simulations on multi-processor computers, the meteorological service at the Ministry of Transportation will be entrusted with the construction and management of the infrastructure, but the infrastructure that will be built will be open to all climate researchers in the government and academia. In light of the high academic level of Israeli research, it is guaranteed that the national infrastructure that will be established following this decision will advance Israel to the forefront of global research in the field.
Since the simulations will be of the entire space around us, the open information base of high-resolution forecasts will be able to be used by all the countries of the region and promote the entire space to make informed and coordinated adaptation decisions.
The Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, MK Merav Michaeli: "The Ministry of Transportation under my leadership prioritizes the treatment and prevention of the climate crisis, and I am happy that we have a partnership and partners in the government who understand the importance of immediate actions on the issue and have joined my consistent push to promote and budget for the establishment of the Climate Calculation Center. We, at the Ministry of Transportation, are in the midst of a tremendous move to advance the environmental policy that includes the process of electrifying our transportation - from buses, through charging terminals to the heavy rail, we passed government decisions for clean transportation and turned the pyramid towards the use of public and sustainable transportation. The good news that the establishment of the calculation center is approved is a condensation of the array of actions that are being done for our environment, which will enable a better dealing with the climate crisis."
The Minister of Environmental Protection, Tamar Zandberg: "In an era of increasing climate crisis, the establishment of a climate calculation center is a necessary step. Accurate data on Israel's situation and high analytical capabilities for formulating forecasts are a critical tool for Israel's preparation for the climate crisis. The heat wave that Europe is experiencing these days is an example of the supreme importance of the country's ability to prepare for climate change. With proper preparation, based on data, it is possible to reduce the level of risk, help populations and infrastructures at risk to reduce their degree of vulnerability, and prevent suffering and damage to property. Building the capacity will allow us to identify risk centers from additional sources, for example to carry out simulations of the dispersion of pollutants and air quality, to calculate the distribution of diseases and pests, and to promote many issues that are at the core of the work of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and are important for maintaining public health and the environment."
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Oded Porer: "Global warming is a global threat that causes far-reaching changes in our living environment. This is a challenge on a global scale, and we understand today more than ever how important it is that we anticipate the next crisis and prepare for it in advance. In order to deal with the consequences of warming, we must adopt innovative methods of action, and promote actions today that can help agriculture deal with the consequences of the climate crisis in the short and long term, which will allow agriculture to continue providing fresh and healthy food to the population."
Minister of Energy, Karin Elharer: "In recent years, the Ministry of Energy has been leading clear steps and policies to deal with and deal with the climate crisis in the energy sector. The establishment of the center is another step that will allow us to establish tools and solutions to deal with the climate crisis and its effects on the energy economy. More established and accurate assessments concerning Israel will provide a broad and comprehensive knowledge base of the effects of the climate on the country, thus helping to prepare for extreme scenarios and ensuring functional continuity. Beyond that, some of the effects of the climate concern the maritime space adjacent to Israel, and accurate assessments of this area that will be carried out in the future by the Seas and Lakes Research Institute, are important both for the coastal environment, and for the maritime space that in the future can also be used for energy production. The Ministry of Energy is proud to be a partner and to lead, together with the other ministries, the establishment of this center."
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Orit Parkash-Hacohen: "Another important decision to strengthen Israeli science and technology. The joint work of the government ministries is launching the establishment of a significant computing power that will present accurate and detailed information on the climate challenges unique to Israel. These will strengthen the science and hi-tech industry in these fields and Israel's international position on this issue.'
The Director of the Meteorological Service at the Ministry of Transportation, Nir Stav: "Israel is making a leap forward in addressing the challenge of preparing for climate change, with a national computing infrastructure for climate research and the establishment of an open database of high-resolution climate forecasts. Thanks to the government's decision, the meteorological service, together with climate researchers at the academy, will be able to produce reliable and detailed forecasts that will serve as a compass for the work of government ministries in Israel, and for our partners in the region."
Director of the Water Authority, Yehezkel Lipshitz: "The Water Authority has the responsibility to manage, operate, develop and regulate the water sector, while considering future needs and ongoing examination of the state of the water sources. The Water Authority has been preparing for a long time for a reduction in the filling of its natural water sources as a result of climate change. The establishment of an advanced climate calculation center will contribute to the accuracy of future forecasts of the supply of natural water sources and will allow better estimates of the volume of desalinated water required for the State of Israel in the future."
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One response
Good luck
Hoping that science and research will not be influenced by politicians and agendas…….