Climate change is expected to affect the water economy of the State of Israel, the health of the residents, the existence of biodiversity and the provision of ecological services in the various ecosystems, our urban climate and energy consumption in the homes and localities in which we live. Already today we have to deal with these changes, although still on a relatively moderate scale: changes in the occurrence of rains, an increase in heat load, migrant workers and / or refugees whose causes of migration may also be climatic, diseases transmitted by vectors, and more.
In March 2011, the Israeli Climate Change Information Center (ICCIC) was established through a collaboration between the University of Haifa, Tel Aviv University, the Technion, and the Samuel Neaman Institute. The website was developed and maintained with funding from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, with the aim of strengthening the scientific knowledge base related to climate change adaptation in Israel.
Samuel Neaman Institute studies in this field examine Israel’s level of preparedness for coping with climate change, existing knowledge and implementation gaps, and the measures required to strengthen national and local resilience. The studies address the development of scenarios, indicators, and assessment tools, the analysis of the economic and social implications of climate risks, and the formulation of policies, coordination mechanisms, and action plans to support decision-making and long-term preparedness.
