Restoring Natural Resources
Israel is a biodiversity hotspot due to its unique location at the intersection of three continents. The country includes coastlines on the Mediterranean and Red Seas, as well as multiple climate zones. It is a part of a global migratory bird route. Within Israel, the Dead Sea region is a unique desert environment. \
Eliminating Invasive Species @ ICL Dead Sea
ICL Dead Sea, in collaboration with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA), has embarked on a multi-stage project to minimize invasive vegetation at the site and to contribute to biodiversity preservation.
With the assistance and guidance of the INPA, ICL Dead Sea is removing invasive plant species, including trees and plants, found on the facility’s grounds. In their place, native species will be introduced in appropriate areas.
Reducing Light Pollution @ ICL DS
Artificial light enables us to work around the clock but also creates biodiversity challenges by illuminating the surroundings. Illuminating areas close to production sites at night is adverse to the ecological balance, disturbs animals and disrupts biological processes that occur only in the dark. Reducing light pollution can be a simple matter of eliminating or switching off unnecessary illumination, reducing the intensity of a lighting installation, restricting its hours of use, or selecting different types of illumination such as focused torches and not those having ball symmetry.
The ICL Dead Sea production sites are located in a sensitive region from a panoramic and ecological perspective, and therefore it is important to take into account these ecological systems in order to diminish damage resulting from the plants’ operations. ICL Dead Sea have therefore taken up the challenge to reducing light pollution, through a cooperated project with Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority (INPA), encompassing all 40 operational drilling yards These Drilling yards were previously illuminated throughout the night, and have now been darkened. Any lighting required for emergency maintenance work at night (a rare occurrence) can be switched on either remotely or on site. Darkening drilling yards in open areas reduces their light pollution as well as energy costs.
Land Rehabilitation & Restoration
The southern portion of ICL Dead Sea (DSW) area covers 36,000 hectares in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea. This area contains distinctive scenic, geological and historical attributes, some of which have been impacted by DSW’s quarrying, mining and drilling activities, as well as other factors unrelated to the Company.
ICL DSW has initiated and is fluently engaged in various rehabilitation and restoration projects within its concession areas. The company continues its efforts to minimize its environmental footprint.
We are working on these restoration projects with partners such as the Tamar Regional Council, The Israeli Environmental Protection ministry and the Nature and Parks Authority. Projects include a restoration plan at Nahal Heimar Estuary, Providing organized safe access to public open areas, Conservation of the “Swan Lake” and others.
Restoration of Land Impacted by ICL Dead Sea’s Activities within its Concession Area
Over the past several decades, ICL Dead Sea has engaged in earthworks in open areas of its concession area to support the various needs of its production processes. As a result, certain areas were marred which ICL Dead Sea is responsible to rehabilitate. ICL Dead Sea is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to restore these areas. It plans to continue to upgrade some of the sites to make them accessible to visitors.
| Size | Protected | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menifat Z'eelim | 1.3 | Adjacent to a nature reserve | Fully restored - thirds party approved |
| Ashalim Small Dam | 0.13 | Adjacent to a nature reserve | Fully restored - thirds party approved |
| Hadmonim Rout | 2.4 | Some of the area is in a nature reserve | Fully restored - thirds party approved |
| Admon Stream Area | 0.7 | Some of the area is in a nature reserve | Fully restored - thirds party approved |
| Zin-Zafir-Tamar | 3 | Inside a nature reserve | Fully restored - thirds party approved |
| Amazia Stream | 0.7 | Some of the area is in a nature reserve | Fully restored - thirds party approved |
By Geoteva
The Dead Sea visitor center project
ICL Dead Sea (DSW), in coordination with The Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel, will convert the old worker camp of the Eretz- Israeli Potash Company into a new visitor center. The visitor center will include three main themes:
- The early Heritage of Dead Sea Works, from before the establishment of the state of Israel. The Preceding Eretz- Israeli Potash Company operated in the Dead Sea region and employed hundreds of employees- both Jewish and Arab.
- Exhibiting the special characteristics of the Dead Sea region, it’s landscape and environmental uniqueness, and how the dead sea rift was created tens of thousands of years ago.
- The current industry in the region- it’s interrelations with the environment, it’s contribution of the region and state economy and it’s important role in the global food supply chain.
The project has now received all needed approvals, and will be conduced through 2019.
Forming a Detailed Plan for the Nahal Heimar Estuary, South of the Dead Sea
Nahal Heimar, a large creek in the Judean desert, contains unique geography and biodiversity, including rare plants, animals and geological formations. In the midst of this environment is extensive mining and water infrastructure (damming and flow channels), including drilling and pumping stations for ICL Dead Sea Works. The company, in cooperation with the INPA and the Tamar Regional Council, formed a plan for the integrated restoration of the area. The plan includes the restoration of damaged areas to their original habitat, as well as restoration of areas to a wet habitat. ICL has selected a plan promoting minimum development that will provide hikers with an opportunity to explore the area without damaging it. This plan will allow for mining activity to operate in parallel with the restoration of the region.
The detailed plan was approved in 2017.
