IOLR and Sustainable Development
Like any growing nation, Israel faces a core challenge: protecting its natural resources even as demand on them rises. IOLR's research is dedicated to promoting the sustainable use and safeguarding of Israel's aquatic environments.
Advancing Marine Resources
Israel is entering a new era in how it uses maritime resources — from large-scale seawater desalination and offshore gas production to proposals for artificial islands. Inside Israel, IOLR is the foremost source of knowledge about the marine environment where these projects will unfold. Reliable science is the foundation for reliable decisions about human activities that affect the sea.
Advancing Freshwater Resources
Drought and population growth put pressure on Israel's freshwater supplies — both surface waters like lakes and streams and underground aquifers. Israel's strategy includes generating new freshwater through seawater desalination, expanding catchment with reservoirs, conservation measures such as water-efficient agriculture, and widespread wastewater recycling. IOLR studies and advises on Israel's water economy, with expertise spanning lake management to the design of artificial lakes fed by wastewater and seasonal flooding.
Working Across Borders
Beyond Israel's coastline, IOLR collaborates closely with the European Union and other Mediterranean Rim nations to study and monitor the health of the Mediterranean Sea. IOLR participates in numerous Mediterranean scientific consortia and acts as a marine data repository for major surveys. Its pioneering work on pressing marine ecology issues — including coral reef restoration and tracking invasive marine species — has forged partnerships with the EU, the World Bank, research institutions worldwide, and countries across the Indian, Pacific, and Caribbean regions on matters of global importance.
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Donate Contact Twitter HomeIOLR's research links marine and freshwater science to the practical decisions Israel makes about its water and sea. From desalination and wastewater recycling to Mediterranean monitoring and international partnerships, the institute turns scientific knowledge into guidance for sustainable resource use.