On 23 april 2025,The NPP-SOL project was presented to key stakeholders from the Israeli local hub during an event organized by the Tzipori River Restoration Project. The Tzipori watershed neighbors the NPP-SOL study site at the Nahalal Stream, and both are managed under the jurisdiction of the Kishon Drainage Basin Authority.
The event focused on the impact of agricultural practices on stream ecosystems, specifically addressing issues such as grazing, point-source pollution, and non-point source pollutants. It provided an important opportunity for knowledge sharing and strengthening connections between researchers, policymakers, and environmental practitioners.
Presentation of the NPP-SOL Project
NPP-SOL was introduced by Israeli project partners Roy Posmanik (Technion – Israel Institute of Technology) and Roey Egozi (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). They presented the project’s core objectives and highlighted the Israeli team’s contributions, particularly in relation to innovative technologies and research facilities aimed at improving water quality under current agricultural conditions at the Nahalal Stream.
Additionally, Orr Maromi, a Master’s student involved in the project, presented her preliminary findings on digestate treatment using anaerobic digestion (AD) and constructed wetlands (CW)—technologies that are being evaluated for their potential to mitigate the environmental impact of agricultural waste.
Stakeholders in Attendance
The event brought together a diverse and influential group of stakeholders, including:
- Mr. Haim Haimi, CEO – Kishon Drainage Basin & Streams Authority
- Mr. Uri Regev, Director – Engineering and Planning Department, Kishon Drainage Basin & Streams Authority
- Ms. Ella Cohen-Shwarts & Mr. Gilad Shalev, Experts – Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security, Ha’amakim Regional Water & Soil Conservation Unit
- Dr. Amit Paporisch, Researcher – Newe Ya’ar Research Center, ARO
- Dr. Yael Laor, Senior Researcher and Chief Scientist – Model Farm for Sustainable Agriculture, Newe Ya’ar Research Center, ARO
- Mr. Shai Gilad, Consultant – AGMA & Tzipori River Restoration Project
- Mr. Nir Papai, Head – Tzipori River Restoration Project
- Mr. Aviram Johonson – Agroecology Unit, Extension Services, Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security
- Ms. Yael Oren, Director – & her team- Agricultural Environment Division, Ministry of Environmental Protection
- Mr. Ariel Cohen, Manager, & his team – Environment Surveying & Research Unit – Nature and Parks Authority (NPA)
- Mr. Asi Eliya – Director, Environmental Quality Division, Jezreel Valley Regional Municipality
Key Takeaways
The event concluded with recognition that policy and regulatory frameworks stand to gain significantly from the technologies being developed and tested within the NPP-SOL project. However, stakeholders also highlighted the need for continued research to establish clearer target values for water quality, both for discharges into water bodies and for field application.
This exchange reinforced the project’s collaborative approach and underlined the importance of engaging stakeholders at watershed scale to tackle the complex interactions between agriculture and water ecosystems.
More information about the Israeli case study is available on NPP-Sol website: