The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is an environmental research and education institution located in Israel. The institute receives funding from the United States government and U.S.-based nonprofits. It focuses on climate change and weather-dependent energy.

Background

The Arava Institute is composed of an educational arm and a research arm. The educational program offers courses in environmental science and policy with a focus on left-leaning climate change advocacy and initiatives, such as phasing out conventional energy in favor of weather-dependent energy sources. The institute also offers courses on Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution to further its objective to “prepare future Arab and Jewish leaders to cooperatively solve the region’s environmental challenges.” ¹ The research arm of the Arava Institute is focused on “sustainability” studies, agriculture, water management, and climate change mitigation strategies. ^{2 3}

Executive Director Tareq Abu Hamed has driven the institute’s climate change focus, spearheading the establishment of the institute’s Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation in 2008 and traveling to COP26 to advocate for United Nations-backed climate change measures. In an interview on his climate change efforts, Hamed stated, “We need to change the way we live, do urban planning, the way we produce energy—we need to change the way we do a lot of things.” ⁴ Hamed was also named one of the “20 Israelis Leading the Way Out of the Climate Crisis” by ISRAEL21c. ⁵

Activities

The Arava Institute’s educational arm offers undergraduate and graduate programs in partnership with Ben Gurion University. Roughly 80 students studied at the institute during the 2021-2022 academic year, including international students from the United States, Canada, Sudan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. ⁶

In additional to traditional environmental science courses, the institute offers courses such as “Climate Change in the Middle East & Post Oil,” which introduces students to the “notion of climate inequality” and the “extraordinary potential of the Middle East for solar energy.” The institute also offers several courses aimed Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution and increasing regional partnerships in the Middle East on environmental and climate change issues. ⁷

The institute’s research arm is composed of four major research concentrations: Renewable Energy, Sustainable Agriculture, Transboundary Water Management, and Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research. ⁸

The Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation conducts research into weather-dependent energy sources and supports regional projects using these technologies. ⁹ The Center for Sustainable Agriculture focuses on desert agriculture and medicinal herbs. ¹⁰ The Center for Transboundary Water Management focuses on wastewater treatment and water management projects. ¹¹ The institute’s “Political Ecology” research takes a political approach to studying environmental issues in order to serve “individuals and groups promoting social and political change in the region.” ¹²

Funding

Much of the Arava Institute’s funding is derived from the organization’s U.S.-based nonprofit, Friends of the Arava Institute, which raises money for the institute through public awareness campaigns, student recruiting, and fundraising efforts. ¹³ The Arava Institute also receives significant funding from the US-based Jewish National Fund, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Crown Family Foundation, and the European Commission. ¹⁴

In 2021, the Arava Institute reported ₪11.5 million NIS ($3.2 million USD) in funding from Friends of the Arava Institute, ₪4.4 million NIS ($1.2 million USD) from the Jewish National Fund, and ₪315,085 NIS ($88,224 USD) from the Crown Family Foundation. In the same year, the institute reported ₪472,363 NIS ($132,262 USD) in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and ₪807,147 NIS ($226,001 USD) from the European Commission. ¹⁵

The U.S. Department of State reported $1.6 million in grants to the institute from 2011 to 2021, including a $696,299 grant for “greywater reuse for smallholder agricultural development in off grid communities” in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan. ¹⁶ USAID has reported $734,985 in grants to the institute from 2015 to 2021, including $578,474 for “mitigating transboundary waste conflicts.” ¹⁷

1. “Annual Reports, Financial Statements & Publications.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/about-our-community/for-the-press/.
2. “History & Mission.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/about-our-community/history-mission/.
3. “Semester Course List.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/academics/student-resources/semester-course-list/.
4. “Director’s Blog: A Post-cop27 Sit-down with Tareq Abu Hamed.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. December 12, 2022. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/2022/12/post-cop27-with-tareq-abu-hamed/.
5. Constantinoiu, Marina. “20 Israelis Leading the Way out of the Climate Crisis.” ISRAEL21c. November 8, 2022. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://www.israel21c.org/20-israelis-leading-the-way-out-of-the-climate-crisis/.
6. “Annual Report 2021-2022.” Arava Institute for Enviromental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Annual-Report-2021-2022-Friends-of-the-Arava-Institute.pdf.
7. “Semester Course List.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/academics/student-resources/semester-course-list/
8. “History & Mission.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/about-our-community/history-mission/.
9. “Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/arava-research-centers/center-for-renewable-energy/.
10. “Center for Sustainable Agriculture.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/arava-research-centers/arava-center-for-sustainable-agriculture/.
11. “Center for Transboundary Water Management.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/arava-research-centers/center-for-transboundary-water-management/.
12. “Research in Political Ecology in the Middle East.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/arava-research-centers/research-in-political-ecology-in-the-middle-east/.
13. “History & Mission.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/about-our-community/about-fai/missionhistory/.
14. “Annual Reports, Financial Statements & Publications.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/about-our-community/for-the-press/.
15. “Annual Reports, Financial Statements & Publications.” Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://arava.org/about-our-community/for-the-press/.
16. “Federal Awards Advanced Search.” USAspending.gov. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=969dd64ed6b38d40e7175bdd7d09395a.
17. “Federal Awards Advanced Search.” USAspending.gov. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=fb8fce7b0b1a099c4030d7a7f53dc726