Following the release of the IPCC2023 Report, on the 20 March, Prof. Pinhas Alpert from Tel Aviv University – I-CHANGE partner – was interviewed about the relevance of this report for Israel, and about the potential threats of climate change in the country.
The IPCC2023 Report is a synthesis of the three earlier reports regarding: the physical changes due to global warming (Aug. 21) the vulnerability, the influences and the adaptation steps necessary to cope with these changes (Feb 22) and the mitigation steps that are necessary to reduce the global GHG emissions (Apr. 22). The report is also of particular importance as the next IPCC report is expected to be issued only in the year 2030.
Additionally, Israel and the Mediterranean area are now facing big threats due to the accelerated warming, including high temperatures and rising heatwaves to health and to the ecology, and damages by severe floods. To analyze and tackle these environmental issues, Tel Aviv University took part in the I-CHANGE project, and it is working in the Living Lab of Jerusalem to develop strategies and give citizens a clear scientific basis for the risks of climate change by involving them in the research and development of practical tools.
Concerning Israel, Prof. Pinhas Alpert from Tel Aviv University explained that the country will take the necessary steps recommended by the IPCC2023 to face the climate change challenges. Indeed, a plan by the Ministry of Environment and some governmental resolutions already exist, but it is necessary to have an appropriate budget for adaptation and mitigation measures that have not arrived yet to the relevant ministries.