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Tour the Negev with KKL-JNF March 10, 2016 Since it was established 114 years ago, KKL-JNF (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund) has been developing Israel and caring for its residents' quality of life. KKL-JNF's main areas of activity are forestry and the environment; water and stream rehabilitation; creating communities and forging roads; environmental and heritage education for children and youth; tourism and community park and forest projects; and research and development. KKL-JNF shares its knowledge and its practical application, particularly in the fields of sustainable forestry and arid land agriculture, with countries around the world and KKL-JNF's experts represent Israel at professional, international, scientific and environmental conferences. The Negev The Negev is more than half of Israel's land area, but is inhabited by only eight percent of the country's total population. It has the most sensitive ecosystem, which KKL-JNF is committed to developing sustainably. The ecological initiatives that KKL-JNF promotes impact on all aspects of Negev life and serve as a model of desert development for the world. Water is the basic resource for sustaining life and growth in the desert region; the prerequisite for building communities. With only between 50 to 200 mm of annual rain, much of which is lost in flashfloods, KKL-JNF has developed close to ninety water management projects in the Negev. These include harvesting Negev floodwaters and reusing them for irrigation; developing sewage treatment plants and building reservoirs to store recycled, treated wastewater, an inexpensive source of water for farming; and developing constructed wetlands which, in addition to purifying water, serve as parks and recreation areas. Development also includes suitably planned and planted community parks for the Negev cities of Ofakim, Yeruham and Sderot. KKL-JNF has helped endow Be'er Sheva and Dimona with parks that promise to transform neglected areas into vibrant environments. KKL-JNF has endorsed green construction policies for all new housing. An international architectural competition is being organized in the search for the best proposals for building an entire green neighborhood in the Negev; a model which can be adopted for further residential neighborhoods. The Negev is world renowned for its remarkable achievements in arid land agriculture and shares its unique expertise in the field with other countries dealing with similar climatic challenges. To ensure the future of this vital activity, KKL-JNF continues to support research and its implementation in sustainable agricultural. The Negev is the site of renewable energy projects that are supported by KKL-JNF, such as the development of photovoltaic solar energy systems. KKL-JNF is honored to host you on a tour of the Negev and we wish you a pleasant visit! The German States Forest The German States Forest is located in the southern part of the Lahav Forest, which lies south of the Lower Judean Plain in the direction of Beersheba, covering an area of more than 3,000 ha. With the support of friends of JNF Germany, KKL JNF started planting this forest in 1952. The forest now comprises more than half a million trees, with species including pine, acacia and eucalyptus, and serves as a respite from the desert and a green lung for its surrounding communities. In the forest depths, the visitor encounters carefully carved, stone pillars forming an arc, suggesting a bridge or elevated water canal. The names of individuals, communities and institutions from throughout Germany are inscribed on them; a message of friendship. KKLJNF has dedicated the forest to the German States for their part in making the Negev green. Despite the fact that the forest receives a scarce average annual of some 250 mm of rain, it blooms, helps keep the encroaching desert at bay and provides habitats for many animal species. Its hilly terrain reaches heights of 495 m above sea level, and KKL-JNF has created scenic outlooks at points which afford breathtaking views. The forest contains a center for regional studies, recreation areas, archaeological remains, underground tunnels, and hiking and bicycle trails. Halutsiot Communities The Halutsiot Communities, Bene Netsarim, Naveh and Shlomit, were established in the Halutsa Sands in the western Negev, close to the Egyptian border. They were created for the former residents of two Gush Katif communities, Atsmona and Netsarim, who left their homes under the Disengagement Plan in 2005. KKL-JNF, with the help of its friends worldwide, reclaimed land for housing and agriculture, paved roads and was responsible for landscaping the communities and developing public parks. In the summer of 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, KKL-JNF provided these vulnerable communities with life-saving bomb shelters. Resources & Development Division Projects & Marketing Department Jerusalem 2016