BGU Receives Grant to Study Fertile Land Erosion
BGU Receives Grant to Study Fertile Land Erosion
November 26, 2013
Natural Sciences, Press Releases
BEER-SHEVA, Israel, November 26, 2013 – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) received a grant from the chief scientist of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture to study the erosion of fertile lands, a severe problem in Israel and a global issue. The grant will be used to establish a Center for Excellence headed by Prof. Tal Svoray of BGU’s Department of Geography and Environmental Development.
In Israel, it is estimated that close to 125,000 acres (500,000 dunam) cannot be cultivated since a third of the original soil thickness has eroded and the soil that is left is degraded. The erosion of the top layer leads to a reduction in water volume and nourishing materials, which reduces yields significantly. In many fields, the soil has eroded all the way down to the bedrock.
The Center will develop a decision-making mechanism to reduce the loss of fertile land by studying the erosion process and how humans influence the process. The mechanism will be combined with a geographical information system and remotely sensed data to develop detailed treatments.
According to Prof. Svoray, “We will quantify erosion processes and sedimentation in agricultural catchments through a physically based model combined with a hydrological component that will include a simulation of water infiltration per land treatments, a 3D soil profile and various types of analysis, as well as surface flow component.”
The connection between rainfall patterns and land loss also will be studied using dynamic data from meteorological radars. Svoray’s Center staff includes Profs. Alex Furman and Sagi Filin from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Dr. Shmuel Assouline from the Volcani Center and Prof. Efrat Morin from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
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