Israel's Climate Preparedness Hampered by Budget and Staffing Shortfalls
Israel's preparedness for climate change impacts is significantly hindered by understaffing and underfunding, as revealed by a State Comptroller report. A national directorate operates with minimal staff and budget, while only three government ministries have submitted viable preparedness plans. The country has already experienced significant climate-related damages, including excess mortality from heatwaves and record payouts to farmers for extreme weather. Urban infrastructure like drainage systems is outdated, and local authorities struggle with funding and personnel shortages for necessary upgrades.
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- Israel's climate preparedness directorate is severely understaffed and underfunded, operating with only two positions and a minimal budget.
- Only three out of 28 Israeli government bodies have submitted implementable climate preparedness plans.
- Excess mortality of 363 people was linked to eight heatwaves in Israel between 2012 and 2020.
- Farmers received a record 410 million shekels for extreme weather damage between October 2023 and September 2024.
- Urban drainage infrastructure in several cities is outdated and insufficient for updated rainfall scenarios.
- Local authorities cite lack of budget and personnel as primary obstacles to climate preparedness.
- A comprehensive national assessment of long-term climate change impacts in Israel is still incomplete.
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Eilat on Wednesday morning triggered alerts in the Arava region, causing temporary evacuations at Ramon Airport and minor damage, primarily to glass. The earthquake, unrelated to climate change, highlights the need for preparedness, a concept Israel has acknowledged but struggled to implement effectively regarding climate risks.
A 2018 government decision to establish a national directorate for climate preparedness has been severely understaffed and underfunded, according to a June 2026 State Comptroller report. The directorate operated with only two positions, one borrowed, and had a budget of just 700,000 shekels for 2026. Its authority is limited, lacking mechanisms to compel ministries to report on their progress. The Ministry of Environmental Protection itself stated in July 2025 that five additional positions were needed.
Climate-related damages are already evident. A 2022 Tel Aviv University study for the Environmental Protection Ministry linked eight heatwaves between 2012 and 2020 to an excess mortality of 363 people. Furthermore, the agricultural sector received a record approximately 410 million shekels in compensation for extreme weather damage between October 2023 and September 2024.
Urban drainage infrastructure in cities like Nahariya, Ashkelon, and Jisr al-Zarqa is outdated and insufficient for current rainfall scenarios, a June 2026 follow-up report found. Responsibility and funding for necessary upgrades remain unclear between local authorities and drainage authorities.
Globally, a McKinsey report indicates that investments in climate adaptation yield economic benefits three times their cost, potentially rising to seven times in a 2-degree Celsius warming scenario. However, a funding gap persists due to misaligned incentives, where those who pay for upgrades do not always directly benefit from the savings. This challenge is compounded by budget priorities and coordination difficulties.
In Israel, only three out of 28 government ministries and public bodies have submitted implementable climate preparedness plans, according to December 2025 data. The National Security Council's climate forum was disbanded in April, hindering inter-ministerial coordination. At the local level, 154 out of 257 municipalities have not prepared or are not preparing climate action plans, citing lack of budget and personnel as primary obstacles.
Nationally, a comprehensive assessment of long-term climate change impacts is still incomplete. While the Ministry of Finance is developing economic models, a national evaluation of preparedness costs versus potential damages is lacking. Additionally, a government mechanism to track the approximately 8.8 billion shekels allocated for climate-related issues between 2007 and August 2025 has not been established, making it difficult to gain a clear picture of allocations and execution.
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