Last updated: October 2021
The Jerusalem Forest is located southwest of Jerusalem and is the green lung of the residents of Israel's capital. The forest has a variety of trees, flowers and wildlife, remains of ancient farming implements and burial caves (2). The forest was planted in the 1950s in an attempt to increase the green cover and natural biodiversity of the area. However, due to intensive urban development including road constructions and energy grid installation and forest fires the size of the forest has been shrinking once covering 4 700 000 m2 to the current size of 1 250 000m2. In 2016, a non-governmental green organisation initiated the renewing of the Jerusalem Forest with the aim to preserve the forest, halt its decrease, secure its sustainable maintenance while involving the public in the conservation efforts increasing their environmental knowledge about their local habitat and support nature stewardship through the application of a community forest model. (1,2,8)
Jerusalem Forest Preservation
Source: https://www.kkl-jnf.org/tourism-and-recreation/forests-and-parks/jerusalem-forest.aspx
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Effective management
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Protection of natural ecosystems, Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
1. Halt deforestation in the forest as a result of development activities (2)
2. Preserve the biodiversity of the forest and protect its role as Jerusalem's green lung (2)
3. Guarantee the long term maintenance of the forest by establishing a community forest management model (2)
4. Renew the forest to be more resilient to extreme weather events such as forest fires and droughts (2)
Implementation activities
- Establishment of a community forest model in the Jerusalem Forest to involve the public in the planning and maintenance of the forest (1,2)
- Creation of forest inventory to identify conservation efforts most suitable for the Jerusalem Forest (1)
- Plantation of fruit trees, restoration of terraces, archaeological excavation of historical and cultural sites (1)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
- Means for conservation governance
- Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore ecological connectivity
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The preservation efforts of the Jerusalem Forest was initiated by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), one of Israel's green organisations is responsible for planting and caring for forests in Israel while it also focuses on water management, community development & security, tourism & recreation, and research and development in Israel in cooperation with the Jerusalem municipality (1,7). KKL-JNF is established as a community forest model in the Jerusalem Forest in which residents who live near the forest participate in its planning and maintenance (2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Unknown
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Reduced biodiversity loss
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Unknown
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, No impacts reported
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1) KKL-JNF. (2016). Jerusalem forest renewing. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
2) KKL-JNF. (n.a.). Jerusalem - Nature in Jerusalem. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
3) KKL-JNF. (n.a.). Community Forests. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
4) KKL-JNF. (n.a.). Why Community Forests Are Important?. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
5) KKL-JNF. (n.a.). What are Community Forests? Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
6) KKL-JNF. (n.a.). Care and Maintenance? Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
7) KKL-JNF. (n.a.) KKL-JNF: For a Sustainable Future for Israel. KKL-JNF: For a Sustainable Future for Israel. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
8) Wikipedia. Jerusalem Forest. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
9) Go Jerusalem. (n.a.). Jerusalem Forest. Go Jerusalem. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
10) Global Forest Watch. (n.a.). Jerusalem. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
2) KKL-JNF. (n.a.). Jerusalem - Nature in Jerusalem. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
3) KKL-JNF. (n.a.). Community Forests. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
4) KKL-JNF. (n.a.). Why Community Forests Are Important?. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
5) KKL-JNF. (n.a.). What are Community Forests? Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
6) KKL-JNF. (n.a.). Care and Maintenance? Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
7) KKL-JNF. (n.a.) KKL-JNF: For a Sustainable Future for Israel. KKL-JNF: For a Sustainable Future for Israel. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
8) Wikipedia. Jerusalem Forest. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
9) Go Jerusalem. (n.a.). Jerusalem Forest. Go Jerusalem. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
10) Global Forest Watch. (n.a.). Jerusalem. Accessed on October 27, 2021. Source link
Jerusalem Forest Preservation
Source: https://www.kkl-jnf.org/tourism-and-recreation/forests-and-parks/jerusalem-forest.aspx
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the UNA global extension project funded by the British Academy.