Israel - Overview

Status and Trends of Biodiversity

Overview

Israel is located at the junction of three continents and at the crossroads of climatic and botanic regions. Due to this wide range of physical conditions, there exists a rich variety of flora and fauna including some 2,400 plant, 7 amphibian, 100 reptile, 530 bird, over 100 mammal and 32 fish species. According to the Red Book, some 35% of the country’s vertebrates, 20% of the nesting bird species and 83% of amphibians are endangered... More »

Number and Extent of Protected Areas

About 20% of Israel’s land area is preserved within declared nature reserves. Most of these are located in the desert area in the south of the country. Only about 3% of the Mediterranean region is currently protected in nature reserves. By 2004, 160 nature reserves and 54 national parks were declared and established out of a total of 380 nature reserves and 115 national parks which are currently in various stages of planning and approval... More »

Percentage of Forest Cover

The current inventory of natural and planted forest is 160,000ha, which accounts for approximately 7% of Israel’s land area.

Implementation of the Convention

Measures Taken to Achieve the 2010 Target

Over the past few years, growing realization of the importance of preserving Israel’s biodiversity has led to several initiatives including: a major struggle on behalf of the preservation of open spaces by both governmental and non-governmental bodies; the introduction of new management practices for nature reserves; the creation of an interdisciplinary committee on alien species; declaration of new parks and reserves; signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on a monitoring and data management program in the Gulf of Aqaba between Israel and Jordan (December 2003); circulation of an amendment to the Water Law (2004) which adds another purpose namely the allocation of water for nature and landscapes assets; enactment of the Law for the Protection of the Coastal Environment (2004) which aims at protecting, preserving and restoring the Mediterranean coastal environment; and several public awareness projects and initiatives... More »

Initiatives in Protected Areas

The Nature and Parks Authority developed a policy for ecological connectivity between protected or natural areas. These ecological corridors provide conduits for the passage of animals and plants in fragmented landscapes allowing for the exchange of genetic material. The Nature and Parks Authority and the Ministry of the Environment published a policy document on animal passages in roads, with recommendations on animal crossings as a means of mitigating the effects of habitat fragmentation by roads... More »

National Contacts

Full details of national contacts »

Convention on Biological Diversity

Ms. Ayelet Rosen	CBD Primary NFP
Dr. Simon Nemtzov	CBD Primary NFP, CHM NFP, SBSTTA NFP, ICNP ABS NFP, Protected Areas NFP
Ms. Galit Palzur	Resource Mobilization FP
Prof. F.D. Por	GTI NFP

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

Ms. Yael Armitage

Cartagena Protocol Primary NFP, BCH NFP