All ECOPOTENTIAL protected areas encapsulate fascinating stories about their past, present and future, which fuel the project’s research. Telling those stories and sharing passion for the work we are doing is one of the goals of ECOPOTENTIAL. Now you have the chance to learn more about Har HaNegev Reserve in Israel through a new storymap developed by project partner UNEP-WCMC.
The Negev Desert provides habitat for very diverse plants and animals, while humans have also been travelling and living in the desert for thousands of years. This can create challenges: “Sustainability - or meeting the development needs of people without undermining the integrity of the ecological systems that make human life possible and worthwhile - is the most challenging task of the 21st century“ explains Daniel Orenstein, Associate Professor at Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology the background of ECOPOTENTIAL’s work. “In this storymap, we introduce the amazing biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Negev Desert, alongside its colorful history and current status of human development in the region, to reflect our truly interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research in search of sustainability for the region, its biodiversity and its people.”
Explore the storymap here: Protecting Arid Ecosystems in Populated Areas
Background information: Har HaNegev
Picture Credit: Haim Singer