The climate crisis caught Germany and Belgium unprepared - this is what needs to be done in Israel to prevent future disasters
By Dr. Ben Belek, Zivata - a news agency for science and the environment
Floods that hit large areas in Germany and Belgium in recent days claimed the lives of more than 180 people. Hundreds of residents were injured in the floods, and over a thousand were declared missing. It is estimated that it will take a long time until the full extent of the vulnerabilities and the massive damages to property and infrastructure are fully revealed.
The news releases tend to refer to these events as natural disasters. And in the absence of someone "responsible" for the disaster, the journalistic spotlight is often directed towards the preparation of the rescue forces entrusted with providing aid to the victims of the incident, as well as the systems and institutions whose role it is to warn of the impending disaster ahead of time.
Similar characteristics can also be identified in the reports concerning the unprecedented heat wave that hit North America, or the waves of terrible fires that Australia and California have to deal with every summer in recent years.
In fact, there is no value in distinguishing between a natural disaster and a man-made disaster. As a rule, such extreme events are no longer statistical events without a human context. Warming, extreme dryness, and heavy rainfall events are the most obvious consequences of global climate change.
How is Israel arranged?
This is the climate crisis the scientists warned about, and this is its face.
It is accepted that adequate preparation for the climate crisis means action in two parallel channels: mitigation - reducing the emissions for which climate change occurs, and adaptation - building resilience and adapting to the new climate conditions. Much is already being said about the first channel of action, and the new government in Israel has indeed integrated mitigation strategies into its basic guidelines (such as carbon taxation). However, it seems that effective adaptation strategies, even in rich countries like Germany, are still few and insufficient.
In Israel, too, a trend is being observed whereby heavy rain events are becoming more and more frequent. To this must also be added a constant growth in the extent of the built-up and sealed areas, which leads to a further increase in the surface runoff water sufficiency. Hence, the severe flooding events that we have known in recent years - in the winter of 2020-2019 alone, seven people died from drowning in these events - are the tip of the iceberg of the disasters that we will have to deal with in the near future.
In June, the State Comptroller's Office published the local government audit report for 2021. Two of the 13 chapters deal with preparedness and protection against flood events. Among other things, the report found that there are currently no sufficient limitations in the law to reduce the development around the streams and flood plains - the flood zones the natural ones of the stream. The auditor's report also indicated a lack of essential hydrological data. It is understood that in the absence of reliable and accurate information, it is not possible to design satisfactory solutions.
We must realize that in light of climate change and the predicted extreme events within it, engineering infrastructures alone no longer have the power to prevent flooding events. Therefore, we must adopt the concept that the development must be done in a way that takes into account the data of the natural area from the very beginning, and not in a way that tries to destroy them for no reason.
So what can be done? First, it must be made sure that future development plans - including those that have been approved but not yet implemented - completely avoid development in the vicinity of the stream that flows through their territory (with reference to the rule of the influence strip of the stream in the planning process). It must be ensured that the flood plains are properly mapped, and are guarded against intensive development. It must be ensured that each development plan offers a convincing and professional response to the runoff water that is expected to form in its territory (whether through seepage, introduction, pooling or delay), a response that will minimize the flow of water further downstream. Open and agricultural areas in strategic areas should be designated to serve as runoff reservoirs. And the creation of a reliable and up-to-date flood forecasting system must be completed as soon as possible.
Adequate preparation for extreme events is the duty of every state authority. But knowing that the trend of climate change will only worsen, adequate preparation means more than investing in rescue and rescue systems, or in sophisticated warning systems. These, along with engineering infrastructures, do indeed provide an essential sense of security, but this may disappoint at the moment of truth. Proper preparation means, first and foremost, forward-looking planning, which takes into account the predicted climatic trends, and provides them with a sustainable planning and strategic response.
The writer is a colleague An interface program for the application of science in government In the Strategic Planning Division of the Planning Administration
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