Roughly a third of the world's continental landmass are drylands, terrains characterized by year-round or seasonal scarcity of water. Aridity restricts the nature and quantity of products and services a region can provide its populace, and inappropriate attempts to overcome these limitations can irreparably damage the area's ability to provide them.Studies of drylands are carried out in research centers throughout the world. Investigations deal with the ecological-physical aspects of arid biomes and the interplay between man and this challenging environment. In Israel, these subjects are under study in the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and in various other academic centers. Studies of dryland regions in Israel are partially supported by the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael - Jewish National Fund in recognition of the important role the acquired knowledge plays in preserving, restoring and sustainably developing these regions. The KKL-JNF also engages in development projects aimed at improving the lives of dryland residents and the country's citizenry as a whole, efforts that are grounded in scientific knowledge gathered in Israel and abroad.Despite the extensive research effort devoted to drylands, the public at large has little knowledge of their fragile nature and of the ecological damage that can result from improper land exploitation. Increasing this knowledge and strengthening the public awareness to proper land management become urgent needs in times of accelerated development and settlement of desert regions.Ben-Gurion University and the KKL-JNF have initiated the establishment of an Information Center for meeting these needs. The goals of the Information Center are to:
- Provide masses of research data along with their implications for the public in general, and to the community of high-school students in particular, using clear, crisp, easy-to-understand language;
- Inform readers of the wealth of development activities of the KKL-JNF in forestry, river restoration, urban parks, and other areas, stressing proper usage of the services these terrains provide;
- Provide a storehouse of information and source of guidance for teachers, educators, tour guides, KKL-JNF workers, and other groups dealing in
dryland restoration, preservation, and sustainable development; and
- Serve as a tool for the transfer and exchange of up-to-date scientific data among researchers, research students, and other professionals dealing with research of drylands and their interface with man.
To attain these goals, the Information Center operates on several levels, starting with descriptions written in the style of popular science through to presentations appropriate for professional journals and reports. The Center will also enable visitors to become members, receive current data, participate in forums, and other activities. Instructions and information about the Center's organization, the services it provides, and surfing its contents are given by the Site Map and Help pages.
The establishment of the Information Center has been supported by a gift. The donor has been interested in issues related to desertification since 1963 and is deeply committed to the research work that is being done at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research.
