One of the main natural hazards that are dangerous in Israel is floods. Israel's Mediterranean climate is characterized by long, hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters, modified by altitude and latitude. Rainfall varies throughout the country, from year to year, particularly in the Negev Desert. In the extreme south, rainfall averages less than 100 millimeters annually; in the north, average annual rainfall is 1,128 millimeters. Precipitation is often concentrated in violent storms, causing erosion and flooding. I chose floods because Israel has heavy rainfall, and in a previous flood, they received 20% of their annual rainfall in just two days.
Floods can occur during heavy rainfall and can trigger landslides around the world. If conditions under the Earth's surface are unstable, heavy rains cause mud, rock, or debris to move down mountains and hillsides. All these are important factors to take into consideration regarding floods.
Some good practices are listening to the local radio or television for updates. Get to higher ground if there are many low spots in the area. Avoid any rooms, basement, or electrical outlets. Also, avoid flood waters because they can knock you off your feet, and avoid driving into flooded waters.
Some safety measures would be combating erosion by minimizing sedimentation of natural drainage and built-up through rigorous and extensive soil erosion control. Forbidding traffic on high-traffic avenues when nearby rivers overflow. Investing in small and large streams to support the increase of water that acts as a containment barrier. Action planning, to deal with floods, extreme climatic variations, and the construction of reservoirs capable of storing billions of cubic meters of water.
To protect Israel from floods, building dykes, barriers, and pumps would be essential. These walls will keep the water out. Creating two dykes around the key waterways will be helpful, for instance, an inner dyke for normal water levels and an outer dike in case water goes over the inner dyke during a flood.
The second main natural hazard in Israel that is dangerous is droughts. Climactic droughts extended over three consecutive years and years when extreme droughts occurred in different parts of Israel.
Israel’s located in a semi-arid zone, which means that the country has experienced droughts on a relatively frequent basis. Droughts have caused serious damage to Israel’s water economy and significant damage to agriculture. Israel has experienced four periods of extended drought, the most extreme of which was from 1999-2001. The Sea of Galilee fell to -214.90 meters – the lowest level for a century. The damage caused by droughts increased with the growing level of water consumption and pressure on water sources. However, water desalination plants have now eased Israel’s water shortage.
The causes of the crisis are both natural and man-made. Israel has suffered from four consecutive years of drought. The increase in demand for water for domestic use is caused by population growth and the rising standard of living. The need to supply water under international undertakings has led to the over-utilization of its renewable water sources. Due to a lack of water, growing areas have become limited. And this is why it is so important to develop new techniques to enable growth, to increase growing crops. However, the climate crisis is causing fluctuations in the lake’s water levels. Still, the Israeli government is hopeful, and they plan to pump water from the Mediterranean sea, take the salt out of it and send it across the country to top up the lake when needed.
I would build my house away from coastal areas and shorelines, as seawater can easily be swept inland by strong winds or tides. I would make sure that "check valves" are installed in sewer traps to prevent flood water backups. I would construct interior barriers to stop low-level floodwater from entering basements. Seal walls in basements with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage. I would also remove inventory or important papers and possessions from the basement. I think it is important to build a house near the center of the country, away from areas that are vulnerable to flooding. Another thing I would consider is planting extra vegetation because it can absorb excess water into the soil and can prevent land erosion by slowing down heavy water flow.
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