"Until we understand that nature is one of the essential commodities for human life, which are provided to us for free and without us being aware of it, we have not made any progress in the realm of achieving sustainability."       Prof. Uriel Safriel

​

Ecosystems are the existential infrastructure for humanity.

Thanks to them we have clean air, water, food and other essential services. In today's climate and ecological crisis, there is a real fear that in the future global resources will be depleted, and will not be able to satisfy the needs of the growing population. On the one hand, we live in overdraft, at the expense of the resources of future generations. On the other hand, natural resources can themselves help solve the problem. Nature itself, and especially trees, have the power to absorb carbon and balance the emissions that threaten the ecological balance.

​

In most regional planning and management frameworks, the infrastructure that gives us life, i.e. ecosystems and water, are not considered infrastructure at all, but are destined to be "leftovers" in the wake of development. In light of this understanding, at the beginning of 2018, the Jerusalem Green Fund established a regional partnership for the advancement of a biosphere reserve in the Jerusalem hills.

 

Guiding principles for the regional partnership:

• The borders of the city or of any local authority or council are not relevant for infrastructure management, because all layers of infrastructure cross local borders. In light of this, the regional partnership must provide a link between the urban and rural areas.

• The city should take part in the effort to maintain an ecological balance in the entire area, including in the built-up areas, through a sustainable interface between the urban the rural areas.

• Watershed planning and management can lead to beneficial utilization of surface runoff, its purification and return to groundwater. This is an important part of managing the water infrastructure.

• The framework is not statutory, therefore the success of the regional partnership depends on the desire of the partners to protect ecosystems and manage the resources that give them life and livelihood.

​​

The general team of the partnership meets once every two months, and teams dedicated to the projects of the partnership meet more often as needed. Among other things, the partnership team also coordinates and produces events for the professional and general public. The partnership produced a number events:

• In 2020 the City and Region Conference

• In 2021 initiated and led the Regional Climate Conference of Jerusalem and Mateh Yehuda.

• In 2023 the Regional Partnership Conference 2023 - A City Surrounded By Hills

• Strategic training program for the Regional Partnership staff - 2023

 

For more information:

Naomi Tsur - 050-3122022/ naomitsur@gmail.com

Timna Raz- 052-6433448/ timniraz@gmail.com

​

​

More Information Below:

• Suggest Map Boundaries

• Past Conferences

• Regional Partners

​