Visit to the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
A group of CONSERVE Scholars and Global STEWARDS fellows traveled to Israel and the West Bank in January 2020 to learn about Food Energy Water (FEW) nexus issues in the region. The students were led by UMD faculty members Dr. Rianna Murray and Dr. Angela Ferelli and were joined by two students of the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Students learned from our Israeli partners who are world leaders in sustainable, energy-efficient water reuse for food production, and from local off-grid communities in the development of low or no energy water reuse systems for food crop irrigation.
Students are currently working with our Israeli collaborators on projects that were conceptualized based on their experiences while on the trip. One group of students is creating a survey that will be distributed to off-grid communities to understand their water use behaviors and their perceptions of using recycled wastewater for crop irrigation. Another group is using an Extension approach to develop signage and visitor guides for a Bedouin farm that uses innovative, solar-powered technology to recycle wastewater that is then used to irrigate agricultural crops. These projects will not only assist Israeli and West Bank researchers, communities and farmers, but will also give the students an opportunity to broaden their cultural and world perspectives.
Students visit a Bedouin village and share in a traditional Bedouin meal while learning about off-grid technologies for wastewater reuse on a village farm
Tour of the Ashkelon Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Plant