The world is experiencing a growing need for practical solutions to the climate crisis: in both the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and adaption and resilience building in areas such as agriculture, water, and food security.

These needs are critical for humanity to prosper and survive in the growing and expanding conditions of climate change and acute environmental crisis. This could be Israel’s biggest contribution to the cause of building a better world.

Israeli agriculture, renowned across the world, can provide a significant part of the necessary solutions for feeding the world, whose population is constantly growing, and whose food supply has simultaneously become increasingly threatened by climate change, water shortages, and desertification.

The Israeli Rwandan cooperation in these sectors of Agriculture and Water management is at most important. Precision agriculture, drip irrigation, hydroponic agriculture, greenhouses, the development of disease-resistant strains, the rehabilitation of soils that have undergone erosion and salination processes, streamlining efficiency in water use in agriculture, the use of brackish water, and more, are excellent examples of this.

To these we should add the storage of agricultural products, post-harvest care, and streamlining of agricultural production – they can all prevent food loss, and as such, reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Another excellent example of this is the method developed by the Volcani Center for Argo R&D. The embassy of Israel in Kigali is promoting nowadays a cooperation scheme between Minagri and RAB with Volcani.

Volcani reduces the loss of grains stored in "silo" containers to just half a percent. This is seemingly a world record, and indeed in the world as a whole, up to dozens of percent of grains in storage are lost as a result of disease, mold, and insects.

An extraordinary amount of greenhouse gases, water, and agricultural lands could be saved if the loss rate of grains in storage across the world was just half a percent. Global food security would strengthen greatly, and the researchers at the Volcani Center and other research centers and universities in Israel do not rest, and are engaging in a variety of research projects whose focus is the climate and agricultural crisis.

This field is critical to our existence as a species and for the prevention of wide-scale disasters. Simultaneous to processes of climate change, desertification, and the ruin of the natural environment – all of which harm the capacity of humankind to produce its food – processes of population growth, and an increase in demand for crops for industrial needs and alternative fuel resources, are also occurring.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that an increase in agricultural production of some 70% by 2050 will be required in order to meet the needs of food and industry.

The combination of all of this together puts great strain on natural systems and gravely jeopardizes their ability to exist and to continue to supply system services to both humankind and to nature.

Therefore, when we understand that there isn’t any more new land for farming and that we must preserve the forests and open lands we have, the only solution will be to streamline growing methods and prevent the loss of agricultural products. Israel is one of the world’s leading nations in the streamlining of agricultural production, post-harvest care, and storage.

Water is another area where Israel is leading the world, and if we could better share Israel’s experience and capabilities, we would be able to bring relief to many of the world’s misfortunes.

Water management is one of the most burning challenges of Rwanda, and the embassy is working days and nights to share the Israeli experience, knowledge and innovations.

In water purification and recycling and water desalination, Israel is a global power, holding a global record – close to 90% of its wastewater is purified and recycled for use in agriculture.

If this was the recycling rate in the entire world, it would massively reduce the amount of greenhouse gases, prevent environmental pollution and the destruction of natural ecosystems, and simultaneously provide treated and purified water for the environment and for use in agriculture.

It would be possible to reduce massive greenhouse gas emissions, build agricultural resilience against the climate crisis, allow more water in the natural environment to remain within the ecosystems that routinely absorb greenhouse gases, prevent unnecessary destruction of ecosystems as a result of pollution or water shortages, and more – all at the same time.

Another area where Israel holds a global record – and would seek to share the good practices with Rwanda Water Board is in the prevention of water loss in urban systems.

Where in Israel just a few percent of water is lost in urban supply systems, in other countries in the world it can be as much as dozens of percent. The paradox is that, sometimes, they are arid and water-thirsty countries significantly burdened by water shortages.

In Israel, a wide variety of technologies and methods to prevent water loss in supply systems have been developed – the detection of liquids through remote systems and more – that, if widely implemented across the world, would significantly contribute to reducing the effects of the climate crisis.

Israel also has experience and advanced technologies to offer in the field of renewable energy. Israeli companies offer groundbreaking solutions in energy efficiency and energy storage solutions.

Although Rwanda has enough MW installed for its Electricity network and the main challenge now is to increase the demand, still there is the need to shift to Renewable sources for the production of Electricity here.

Noteworthy are the development of technologies that streamline the solar energy production process, the development of energy storage technologies based on air compression or on the storage of energy in ice, and more.

These developments make redundant the use of batteries that need to be recycled at the end of their life cycles, not to mention the financial and environmental costs associated with their production.

In the development of renewable energies, there are a number of innovative Israeli developments, such as energy production through the power of waves. Apps that monitor energy usage in your home, helping consumers become more energy efficient and save electricity, and even electric roads that supply energy to the vehicles travelling on them, are also noteworthy.

Other developments from the worlds of innovation, app development, AI, materials recycling, the increasing use of more energy-efficient materials in industry, and more – which can and should be embraced in addressing the climate crisis, among other places, here in Rwanda, are also noteworthy. Israel is well-placed to contribute significantly to the field of climate innovation, and should maximize its capabilities in this area for the benefit of the entire world.

In the field of international aid (MASHAV), Israel also has much to contribute with regards to climate change. The coronavirus pandemic, widespread deterioration in global food security, the increasing shortage of drinking and agricultural water, and more, are being felt across the countries of the developing world.

Their ability to function is becoming increasingly tied to a climate crisis over which they have little influence. The primary strategy for them is therefore adaptation and the building of resilience. In all of these areas, Israel has more to offer them than many other countries in the world.

Developed countries and the various UN bodies that understand the possible consequences of climate change in developing countries may make good use of Israel’s technologies and experience in resilience-building.

MASHAV, Israel’s international aid agency located within the Foreign Ministry, is particularly experienced in this area. Mashav has established in Rwanda about four years ago the biggest Center of Excellence in Horticulture of its kind in the world.

Mashav and the Government of Israel, along with Israeli farmers, are hosting every year around 200 post graduates of Agriculture in Israel, gaining there Knowledge, Skills and Capital.  As such, it will also foster mutual learning and knowledge transfer, and strengthen political and economic relations among donor and developing countries.

Ambassador of Israel to Rwanda