One of the hallmarks of the last generation's public and academic discourse is evident in the loud voices warning of a variety of dangers and threats that are about to stir on the earth's population. Levels of all are warnings about climate change on Earth, which will lead, among other things, to the worsening water shortage and rising food prices, phenomena that in turn will exacerbate a hunger problem. To this may be added warnings against the spread of the wave of the "epidemic of terror" and rising waves of migrants left from developing and developed countries, which together will lead to a deep economic crisis and the collapse of societies.
Against the backdrop of the "spirit of the time" which carries repeated warnings of threats and dangers, the proposed integrated course seeks to examine and analyze the dangers facing the water sector and society in Israel from two main perspectives: hydrological and geo-political. Against this backdrop is the State Department of State's stern remarks recently (2018) in a sharp report issued by the Israeli Water Authority that the body responsible for its management failed in its role, leading "to the depletion of water (upper and lower) reservoirs to the risk of causing irreversible hydrological damage Reversible to them, "and by implication, created an internal threat to the security of water supply to the nation's citizens.
From the hydrological point of view, the course discusses the following aspects: Impact of over-pumping from the water reservoirs (Kinneret and the main groundwater reservoirs on the deterioration of the quality of water resources; Groundwater and the level of human health risk to humans; Impact of poor treatment of Palestinians from wastewater from the Judea and Samaria area on the quality of groundwater, especially in the Jordan River and the environment.
From a geopolitical point of view, the course will focus on the following: The complexity of national water management in general and in Israel in particular, the threat faced by the water sector in the State of Israel as a 'rebel river' state and in this context the question of whether an acute water shortage problem is indeed a 'cause of war'. We will also discuss the contribution of agriculture in Israel to the problem of water scarcity and the attainment of local food security and in this context we will discuss the issue of water sources for the production of the major food basket components in the world market and virtual water as a key component for achieving food security. Finally, we discuss the issue of guidelines for cross-border wastewater management.