Years of fighting have left their mark on northern Israel. A new project by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) aims to turn rehabilitation efforts into an opportunity that will provide momentum for the North.
The fires that destroyed vast areas in northern Israel during the Swords of Iron war, along with subsequent rounds of fighting, left behind scorched earth and extensive damage to nature, tourism, and local communities. Alongside these challenges, the need to restore the land presents an opportunity to rethink the entire region. A new project by SPNI, operating within the framework of the Tekuma Directorate for the North, offers a broader vision for the day after: Moving beyond restoring what was damaged to re-planning open spaces as a driver for regional, community, and economic resilience.
Asaf Zanzuri, head of planning and rehabilitation at SPNI, said that in the initial stages of the work, the strategy was relatively simple: Map the damage, determine what required restoration, and establish how to execute it. "As the work progressed, we realized the picture was more complex," he said. While the war left behind fires, waste, and military routes paved through natural land, it also exposed deep-seated issues that predated the conflict. These include insufficient management of open spaces, ongoing pressure on natural resources, and conflicts between land uses such as tourism, agriculture, and development.
The plan was developed through broad collaboration among local authorities, the Nature and Parks Authority, KKL-JRF (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael - Jewish National Fund), government ministries, and other organizations. Instead of proposing entirely new concepts, the team focused on identifying and mapping projects already in the planning or execution stages, consolidating them into a single strategic framework. "We were not looking for imaginary ideas. We took existing projects on the ground originating from northern authorities and tried to show the government: This is what is needed to move them forward, and this is their price tag," Zanzuri said.
This effort resulted in a list of diverse projects connecting ecological restoration with regional development. These range from restoring water channels and turning them into attractive spaces for hiking and camping, to freeing natural springs for environmental use.
Reducing pressure on the natural system
One of the central issues raised during the work, which was presented at the 54th Annual Conference for Science and the Environment in Jerusalem last month, is water management. In the North, where tourism relies heavily on streams and springs, water shortages are acutely felt, especially during drought years. "We are used to thinking about a conflict between development and nature preservation. But here we realized that if there is no water, a single drought year is enough to eliminate the rationale for developing projects. Everyone is harmed: Agriculture, nature, and visitors," Zanzuri explained.
Zanzuri noted that one particularly encouraging project funded by a government decision is the "Release of the Hillside Springs" project. This involves a group of springs along the contact line between the slopes of the Golan Heights and the Hula Valley – an area rich in flora and fauna – that suffered severe damage in recent decades due to extensive pumping for agricultural needs. Under the proposal, the first stage will involve constructing reservoirs to capture floodwaters. The second stage will connect the valley to the national water system, allowing farmers to end their reliance on pumping from the springs and enabling the springs and local biodiversity to recover. "This is a solution that will relieve immense pressure on the natural system, expand public sites, and reduce conflicts between agriculture and the environment," Zanzuri said.
Another project highlighted by Zanzuri is the restoration of the Jordan River channels. The project plans to transform a straight, artificial channel into a more natural environment featuring bends, shaded areas, and regulated access to the water. "This is a project that the Kinneret Drainage Authority and KKL-JNF have already begun advancing, but today most of the area remains a straight channel with almost no shade or pedestrian access down to the water. People arrive in vehicles right up to the stream without any control or management. The goal of the funding proposal is to accelerate the project and advance the restoration of the Jordan channels along their entire length. This way, we can create a space that allows access while protecting the environment – restoring the channel's ecosystem while transforming it into a tourist destination," he said. This large-scale initiative, if completed, could yield a nature and tourism strip extending dozens of kilometers, serving as an example of how ecological restoration and regional development can be integrated.
Increasing the functionality of nature
A core concept emerging from the plan is a shift in perspective: Rather than focusing solely on expanding natural spaces, which is not always feasible, the focus should be on improving how these spaces function. "Nature does not expand, but its function can increase. If you free up springs and restore water flow, suddenly there are more places people can visit and more functional natural systems," Zanzuri said. This approach also helps reduce overcrowding at popular sites, a phenomenon felt in recent years that often places heightened pressure on the environment.
Some of the projects have already been incorporated into government decisions, primarily through infrastructure sectors like water management, while others await funding. Concurrently, various bodies have begun localized restoration work. "Now we need to see how to implement, manage, and maintain these spaces over time," he said.
Ultimately, the issue extends beyond ecology. For residents of the North and visitors from across the country, open spaces are an integral part of quality of life. "People are looking for places to go out and hike, but nature is a limited resource. Beyond the intrinsic value of nature itself, it holds immense importance for our well-being. If we do not invest in it and manage it, our experience and enjoyment of it suffer," he said. The challenge is not only to restore what was damaged, but to build a system that functions effectively over time – one in which nature, community, and economy operate together rather than in competition.
This article was prepared by Zavit – the news agency of the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences.