BGU is recognized by the United Nations as a world leader in desert research, water resources and sustainable development of drylands.
BGU’s Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research are focused on harnessing the arid-zone ecosystem for human habitation. The Blaustein Institutes are comprised of three world-renowned research institutes: the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, the French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, and the Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research. The knowledge gained here is shared with the world, where the rapid expansion of desert, called desertification, affects 1 billion people in 100 countries.
Its Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies (AKIS) offers English-language master and doctoral degree programs in desert studies, and hydrology and water quality.
“You can look at soil erosion from the scientific level, but also at the social level. What are the human practices inked to erosion at a given place and time? How are these linked to political-economic relations?”
– Dr. Yaakov Garb
Desert & Water Research News
see all newsUsing Bats as Pesticides
BGU researchers say farmers should turn to bats to combat destructive pests that ravage cotton crops.
BGU Researchers Invent Sensor to Monitor Water Pollution
New invention will notify farmers of an increase in underground nitrate levels – preventing water pollution.
Unusual Crops Could Become Climate Saviors
As the planet warms, BGU researchers are working to improve crop output in adverse conditions.