|
Comment on this article |
Email this Article
|
|
News :: Israel / Palestine |
|
Ecological Impact Of Israel's Separation Wall |
Current rating: 0 |
by haaretz via gehrig
(No verified email address) |
20 Jun 2003
|
|
|
w w w . h a a r e t z d a i l y . c o m
Last update - 03:10 20/06/2003
Old habitats die hard
By Mazal Mualem
"The separation fence severs the continuity of open areas and is harmful to the landscape, the flora and fauna, the ecological corridors and the drainage of the creeks. The protective system will irreversibly affect the land resource and create enclaves of communities that are cut off from their surroundings."
This description of the severe environmental impact that the separation fence will cause along its entire 600-kilometer route appears in a document that was drawn up by the experts of the open areas division in the Environment Ministry. The document, which also describes environmental guidelines and actions that are being taken to minimize the damage, was placed this week on the desk of Environment Minister Yehudit Naot, of Shinui.
Yet Naot, who is considered environmentally sensitive, has no regrets about the establishment of the fence along the entire seam line, even at the expense of its mortal blow to the environment. "I am aware of all the severe damage, some of which is irreversible," she says, "and I am doing what I can to minimize the environmental damage, but it is clear to me that these efforts are limited and that the damage is serious," she concedes.
According to Naot, security considerations take precedence over environmental considerations in the harsh reality in which Israel has found itself since the onset of the intifada nearly three years ago. "I certainly don't want to stop or delay the building of the fence, because it is essential and will save lives," she asserts. "On the other hand, I am disturbed by the environmental damage involved. Therefore, what remains is to do the maximum to save what can possibly be saved."
The rescue activities mounted by the Environment Ministry and the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority includes saving the reserve of irises on Mount Gilboa, which was moved to an alternative reserve, creating passages for animals and enabling the continuation of the water flow in the creeks. These operations were carried out in cooperation with the Defense Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces, which are in charge of building the separation fence.
"It's not a simple situation. The damage to nature will be extensive, but I have to say the army is trying to show consideration and is displaying a great deal of openness," says Aharon Nachmias, spokesman of the parks authority. "We too understand the national and security need, which in the end is the deciding one."
According to Nachmias, four inspectors of the parks authority have been operating along the route of the separation fence since its construction began. Their mission is to identify potential harm that can be prevented and to reduce the damage. Environmental rescue actions are a daily occurrence, Nachmias says. "The friction we encounter is with the contractors that are doing the actual construction," he explains. "There were some cases where contractors infringed on nature reserves unnecessarily." In once instance, he says, the inspectors discovered that the contractors in the central district, around Netanya, had begun to build a road in a reserve of protected trees. The inspectors quickly informed the Defense Ministry. The work was stopped and a new route was demarcated. However, large-scale damage was done, and experts of the nature and parks authority say it will take years to rehabilitate the reserve.
Equally dramatic harm is being done to wild animals, which are being cut off from their natural habitat by the fence. "The animals don't know that there is now a border," Nachmias explains. "They are used to a certain living space, and what we are concerned about is that their genetic diversity will be affected because different population groups will not be able to mate and reproduce. Isolating the populations on two sides of a fence definitely creates a genetic problem."
Holes in the fence
To minimize the damage to the animal population, the security people agreed to leave small holes - 17 centimeters in radius - in the fence, so that animals will be able to reach their habitats as in the past. However, the openings are only a partial solution, as only rodents and small mammals (such as foxes and crocodiles) will be able to make use of them. It's a limited solution, Nachmias says, "because not all the animals will find the openings and only small animals will be able to use them. It's clear to us that damage is going to be caused no matter what, and we're not able to evaluate the whole range of influences."
"We are trying to show consideration for the needs of the environment and the landscape," says Brigadier General Eran Ophir, head of the logistics section in the IDF's Technological and Logistics Directorate, who is responsible for building the fence on behalf of the IDF. Clear guidelines exist to reduce the environmental damage wherever possible, he says, and in some cases it was decided to change the originally planned route. The IDF, he adds, has also undertaken to rehabilitate the landscape after the work is done and to see to the removal of the large amount of refuse that is accumulating.
The document submitted to Naot also notes that extensive damage will be caused by large army forces operating along the barrier and by the building of bases and outposts. The experts recommend a series of measures to protect the environment along the route of the fence, for example, locating services such as soldiers' barracks, equipment depots and repair workshops adjacent to existing communities or army bases. Another recommendation is to transfer the electricity infrastructures close to existing roads and to avoid building new roads for transferring infrastructures.
Another recommendation relates to the sewerage system. It calls for sewerage systems of the new outposts to be connected to existing systems, or, if there is no available solution, to collect the sewage into a sealed container that will be dumped at the Morasha sewerage disposal site. Another environmental hazard could be produced by the various fuels and motor oils that the army will use. To deal with this, the experts recommend these items be stored in suitable facilities for piecemeal usage.
@%< |
