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.
“We use different approaches and sensors to tell us the condition of the soil, the plant and the atmosphere. We get ideas from programs in the field and then simulate the system’s condition with computers.”
–Dr. Naftali Lazarovitch
Desert & Water Research News
see all newsYears of Research May Lead to Desert Truffle Farms
A BGU researcher says cultivating the prized delicacy on a large scale may soon be possible.
For the Love of Wine
A desert vineyard is harvesting some of the region's greatest wine, thanks in part to BGU.
Environmental Status of Gaza Poses Threat to Israel
A bi-university report shows Israel’s source of groundwater and thus public health may be endangered.