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| Israel Society for Ecology and Environmental Sciences | |
|---|---|
| Name | Israel Society for Ecology and Environmental Sciences |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Type | Learned society |
| Headquarters | Tel Aviv |
| Region served | Israel |
| Membership | scientists, students, policymakers |
| Leader title | President |
Israel Society for Ecology and Environmental Sciences The Israel Society for Ecology and Environmental Sciences is a national learned society that brings together researchers, practitioners, and institutions involved in ecology and environmental sciences. It serves as a nexus linking universities, research institutes, government agencies, and non‑governmental organizations across Israel and fostering collaboration with international bodies. The society emphasizes multidisciplinary approaches and translation of scientific knowledge into policy-relevant outputs.
The society's mission aligns with conservation goals articulated by organizations such as Society for Conservation Biology, International Union for Conservation of Nature, BirdLife International, World Wide Fund for Nature, and United Nations Environment Programme. It promotes research connections between institutions like Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and Weizmann Institute of Science, and facilitates interactions with agencies including Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Ministry of Environmental Protection (Israel), Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Israel Meteorological Service, and Hydrological Service of the Jordan River Basin. The society advances education and outreach in partnership with museums and centers such as the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem, Eretz Israel Museum, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and Arava Institute for Environmental Studies.
The society was established during a period of growing environmental awareness tied to events and movements including the Rio Earth Summit, the expansion of regional conservation efforts following the CITES deliberations, and academic initiatives at campuses like Bar-Ilan University and Open University of Israel. Early founders were affiliated with research centers such as Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Zoological Museum, Tel Aviv University, and departments that later engaged in bilateral exchanges with entities including Smithsonian Institution, Royal Society, Max Planck Society, National Science Foundation, and European Commission research programs. The society’s inaugural conferences attracted delegates involved with projects on the Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, Negev Desert, Mediterranean Basin, and transboundary studies with the Red Sea and Jordan River catchment.
Governance follows a board and elected officers model comparable to Ecological Society of America and British Ecological Society, with committees reflecting expertise from units such as Institute of Evolution, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Rehovot), Volcani Center, and Israel Plant Sciences Association. Membership categories include academics from Hebrew University Faculty of Agriculture, postdoctoral researchers linked to IUI (Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences, Eilat), students from Technion Faculty of Biology, and practitioners from NGOs like Friends of the Earth and conservation groups aligned with World Resources Institute. The society liaises with professional networks including European Ecological Federation and national councils such as the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
Programs span research grants, public lectures, and field courses conducted in collaboration with centers like Carmel National Park, Ramat Hanadiv conservation projects, and educational initiatives modeled after Costa Rican ecological training partnerships. Activities include citizen science schemes inspired by Christmas Bird Count, habitat restoration efforts akin to projects by The Nature Conservancy, and monitoring protocols comparable to those used by Global Biodiversity Information Facility and International Long Term Ecological Research Network. The society supports capacity building through workshops referencing methodologies from Remote Sensing Centre, Hebrew University, GIS units at Tel Aviv University, and laboratory exchanges with Weizmann Institute facilities.
The society disseminates research via proceedings and newsletters and encourages publication in journals such as Journal of Ecology, Conservation Biology, Global Change Biology, Marine Ecology Progress Series, and regional outlets hosted by Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution. It curates data sets compatible with repositories like GBIF, PANGAEA, and participates in synthesis initiatives that involve partners such as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPBES, Mediterranean Science Commission (CIESM), and European Environment Agency. Research themes include desertification studies linked to Negev Desert Research Center, urban ecology projects in Tel Aviv-Yafo, wetland restoration work at Hula Valley, and marine biodiversity surveys in the Gulf of Aqaba.
Annual meetings attract delegates from universities including Haifa University, Ben-Gurion University, Bar-Ilan University, and research institutes like Migal Research Institute, alongside international participants from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of California, Berkeley, Yale University, Princeton University, ETH Zurich, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and CNRS. The society organizes thematic symposia on topics related to climate change, biodiversity loss, and coastal management with speakers drawn from think tanks such as The Brookings Institution and policy bodies including OECD and UNEP. Conferences also feature workshops in collaboration with museums and field stations like the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research.
Partnerships include collaborations with academic partners like Ruppin Academic Center, applied research bodies such as Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), and conservation NGOs such as Israel Ornithological Center and Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. The society contributes to policy advisory processes interacting with Knesset committees, municipal planning offices in Jerusalem and Haifa, and regional environmental initiatives such as transboundary water management with Palestinian Authority counterparts and cooperative research with institutions in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and the European Union. Its impact is evident in applied projects at Dead Sea Works mitigation studies, coastal rehabilitation in Ashdod, and biodiversity monitoring programs that inform environmental assessments by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (Israel).
Category:Scientific societies based in Israel Category:Environmental organizations based in Israel