Golan Basalt Plains Face a Critical Choice Between Development and Conservation

The basalt plains in the center of the Golan Heights, one of Israel’s largest and most continuous open landscapes, are under growing pressure from rapid development. Expansion of settlements, new military camps, water and transport infrastructure, and especially renewable-energy facilities could permanently alter the area’s character and damage a unique ecosystem.

Dr. Daniel Barkovitz, an ecologist and bird survey coordinator at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel’s Dasha Institute, said the area is a national asset because it still contains a rare, uninterrupted basaltic expanse with low settlement density and high natural value. He said it includes winter pools, wet depressions, seasonal streams, springs, and abundant wildlife, and warned that drainage, pollution, invasive species, roads, fences and other barriers can destroy these habitats or fragment movement for animals such as the Israeli gazelle.

Over the past year, researchers from the Dasha Institute and the Shamir Institute completed a comprehensive survey of nature, landscape and heritage in the area. About 94 percent of the surveyed land received the highest overall value rating. Barkovitz will present the findings at the 54th Annual Conference on Science and the Environment on July 8 to 9 at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. The survey also mapped 252 environmental damage sites, including invasive vegetation, which researchers say creates an opportunity for targeted action before the problems spread.

The scientists recommend treating the area as a biosphere model and applying the principle that prevention is better than restoration. They argue that ecological sensitivity must be built into planning from the earliest stages, when alternatives are still being considered. According to Barkovitz, the coming years of planning will determine whether the basalt plains remain a functioning open landscape, or become fragmented as the Golan’s population grows and new bases and settlements are built.