Israeli Ministry for Environmental Protection
The Ministry for Environmental Protection was established in 1989 according to Knesset decision No. 5,1988. The ministry acts at the national, regional and local levels.
The vision of the Ministry for Environmental Protection is that Israel’s environment will provide quality of life and environmental security to its citizens, through informed use of resources and conservation of ecosystems, and out of a responsibility for the wellbeing of humans as well as that of nature, landscapes and heritage for this generation and for the generations to come.
The Ministry takes responsibility for determining general and integrated national policy and for development of strategies, standards and priorities for environmental protection. Within the Ministry, these tasks are undertaken by a number of branches and departments which deal with environmental issues, administrative mechanisms and interactions with citizens.
Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA)
INPA is a government corporation accountable to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, whose role is to protect nature, landscapes, and heritage sites in Israel.
In order to fulfill its role, INPA strives to achieve the following objectives:
- Conservation of biodiversity, ecosystems and landscapes within national parks, nature reserves and open landscapes.
- Conservation of heritage sites in national parks and nature reserves and their development for visitors.
- Publicity and education about conservation of nature, landscapes and heritage to increase public awareness of these issues.
INPA acts through the National Parks and Nature Reserves Law which was ratified by the Israeli parliament in 1963. In accordance with this law, two independent government authorities were established: the National Parks Authority and the Nature Reserves Authority. The two authorities were merged in 1998 to one authority, INPA. INPA’s activities are divided among five regional administrations, each of which is responsible for the nature reserves, national parks and diversity of natural features within its borders. In Israel, 190 nature reserves and 66 national parks have been declared to date, while over 200 proposals for nature reserves and national parks are in various stages of the declaration process.
Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF)
The main fields of activity of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL-JNF) are: forestry and environment, water and river rehabilitation, settlement and infrastructure, education and youth, tourism and leisure activities in forests and parks, research and development. KKL-JNF also develops community forests and biosphere parks which integrate and provide a balance between the general community living near the forests and open landscapes and conservation of nature and the environment.
KKL-JNF is the State of Israel’s official forestry authority, according to the agreement signed in 1961 with the Land Development Administration. KKL-JNF’s forestry policy aims to serve all of Israel’s population both today and in the future. KKL-JNF is responsible for 150,000 hectares of forest and natural woodland throughout Israel, in which over 240 million trees have been planted. In addition, KKL-JNF is responsible for 40,000 hectares of natural woodland and for fencing and coordination of ca. 40,000 hectares of rangelands.