A cause for concern:
the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Sea and Lakes Research Institute published this morning (Monday) the annual national monitoring report in the Mediterranean Sea, which includes the findings of various studies that examined, among other things, the state of water pollution, its temperature and sea level rise .
The report's findings show that although the Mediterranean Sea is a large water body shared by a large number of countries, the main impact on the system in Israel's maritime territory stems from activity originating in Israel.
Therefore, reducing harmful human activity at the local level may significantly improve the state of the marine system, both in terms of pollution and the impact of climate change on the marine environment.
From the head of the Nakra to the shores of Eilat: Tens of thousands of Israelis embarked on a beach cleaning operation // People of the Mediterranean, Yela Ben Meir
The sea is warming quickly
In the chapter dedicated to marine debris in Israel's maritime territory, it was found that most of the debris sampled as part of the information collection for the report originated in Israel.
In addition, the report found that the trend of warming of the upper layer of the waters of the Mediterranean Sea by approximately 0.13 degrees Celsius per year continues, as a result of global warming. This rate is significantly faster than the global rate of warming of the oceans and seas, according to the forecast of the World Climate Organization (which stands at 0.055 degrees per year), because the Mediterranean Sea is a small body of water compared to the oceans.
In terms of sea level rise, it was found that between the years 1992-2022, a level rise was measured at an average rate of about 4.6 mm per year. This rate is faster than the global rate published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is 3.69 mm per year.
Our waste remains in the Mediterranean, photo: Yossi Zeliger
Trends are getting worse
The Minister of Environmental Protection, Idit Silman, said of the report: "Monitoring the trends of change in the sea allows Israel to make decisions based on science and knowledge and to prepare for the future and the effects of climate change."
The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Eli Cohen, said: "The monitoring in the deep sea is used as one of the main means to control the state of sea health and water quality, while producing natural gas in the sea and in light of long-term global changes."
Director General of the Seas and Lakes Research Institute, Alon Zasek: "The current report reflects some alarming trends that are the result of climate change and human effects on the environment, which we have witnessed in recent years.
Among other things, the findings of the annual report indicate the continued warming of the Mediterranean Sea in our region and various pollution trends, which are getting worse over the years."
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