The Biodiversity Index is published as part of the national “Indicators of well-being, sustainability and resilience” report, published by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics. These indicators take into account the size of open natural areas, their continuity, and the state of species within them.

For the purpose of calculating of the Biodiversity Index, drawing lessons from the process and promoting the issue, three key bodies have been collaborating since 2015: These are Hamaarag – Israel’s National Ecosystem Assessment Program at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, and Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics. In this way, Israel has joined the leading countries in the OECD, which consistently conduct measurements of the state of their ecosystems as a key indicator to assess their populations’ well-being.

How is the index calculated?

The index compares the current situation each year and a reference state, calculated on the basis of data from the years 2013-2015, and includes a comparison of several factors:

• The size of the natural area – this measurement calculates the reduction in natural habitats – that is, by what percentage did the natural area diminish. The importance of this factor is clear: the smaller the natural area, the smaller the habitat available for various species. Diminishing the size of open natural areas leads to a higher competition for resources, reduces the number of individuals in the existing species, and may even cause the extinction of species.
• Continuity of natural areas – this is measured by the degree of fragmentation of natural open areas and by their degree of exposure to human development. Or, in other words, the extent to which human settlement and infrastructure interrupt the continuity of natural open areas and interfere with it. The continuity of natural open areas is of great importance, since such fragmentation actually implies a decrease in the habitable area. Such fragmentation may prevent mating partners or food from being found. For example, most animals are not able to cross an intercity highway to move from one area to another.
• The state of the species – this index examines changes in the number of species (plants and animals) which are in danger of extinction, the endemic species (unique to Israel), invasive/eruptive species, and human-accompanying species. Invasive species are species which did not previously live in the area, but have arrived there due to human influence, and have managed to establish communities and reproduce there, often at the expense of local species. Known invasive species are the common myna (also known as the Indian myna) and the blue-leafed wattle (Acacia saligna). Another known species is the rose-ringed parakeet, a parrot which was imported to Israel as a pet, released from captivity, and has been thriving for decades in Israeli nature. Eruptive species are species that have lived in the area previously, but human activities have resulted in an increase in their numbers. Examples include the hooded crow and wild boar, which both feed on human waste, and whose numbers are continually increasing.

What does the index say about the state of our nature?

The index is calculated on the basis of this data: If the resulting number is greater than 1, this indicates improvement, but a number less than 1 indicates a deterioration in the state of nature. Unfortunately, the last Biodiversity Index calculated by Hamaarag was 0.96, meaning that the state of nature in relation to the reference period (2013) is declining, a continuation of the deterioration measured two years earlier. This deterioration manifested itself in the removal of 145.2 km² from natural areas between 2015 and 2019, in a decrease in the continuity of natural open spaces, and in a deterioration in the state of different species.

Dr. Ron Chen, an ecologist at Hamaarag and coordinator of the Biodiversity Index, explained: “The value of the National Biodiversity Index for the year 2020 is 0.960. In comparison, the value for 2018 was 0.983. These values mean that there is a continuous decline in the state of ecosystems in Israel. An examination of the Index’s components reveals that the key factors causing this observed downward trend in the Index are related to direct changes caused by human activity: the reduction and fragmentation of natural open areas, and the increase in the penetration of human influences into such areas. We have not seen a noticeable change in the state of animals and plants in this time-span, but this is not surprising, since the populations’ response may occur later than the gradual decline in the quality and quantity of the natural open space, and may be sharper and less gradual. For as long as this trend of damage to natural open areas continues, so too will the deterioration in the state of animal and plant societies, and this will in time be reflected in a further decrease of the Index.”

הפוסט Biodiversity index הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

The World Index was developed by NCEAS – National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California. HaMaarag completed adaptation of the World Ocean Health Index to Israel’s region of the Mediterraneawin Sea, working closely with NCEAS, and in partnership with researchers, policy-makers and interested parties, determined local targets for the components of the index. This is the first time that such an index has been calculated by those who did not develop it.

Calculation of the score for each target comprises two weighted components: the current status and the short-term forecast. The status relates to the current situation with respect to the target. Conversely, the forecast relies on the trend of the last five years, as well as an estimation of the difference between existing pressures on services provided by the sea to sources of strength.

Categories of pressure include: sea pollution, habitat destruction, fishing pressure, invasive species, climate change and social pressures. In contrast stand the sources of strength: regulation (for example, international treaties, to which Israel is obligated), and social and ecological integrity. For each benefit the different pressures and sources of strength are evaluated separately.

The score obtained for each target ranges from 0 to100. A high score represents closeness to the target and a positive forecast for the near future, while a low score represents the opposite situation. Both over-exploitation and under-exploitation of a resource will result in a low score.

Calculation of the overall score is conducted under the assumption that each target is of equal importance and equal weight in calculating the scores (each sub-target receives half the weight). This assumption has a significant influence on the final score, but was made in the absence of an alternative formal policy.

Clean Waters (97)

How was this state calculated? Level of cleanliness as a function of waste pollution, nutrients, disease carriers and heavy metals.

Target: Coasts clean from garbage at least 70% of the time and water clean of pollutants.

Natural Products (62)

How was this state calculated? Current level of consumption and sustainability of the production process of non-food marine products. In Israel the main product is desalinated water.

Target: Sustainable production of 750 cubic meters of water by the year 2020.

Sense of Place (45)

This is divided into two sub-targets:

Protection of Flagship Species (63)

How was the state calculated? Level of protection of species with emotional and cultural value (marine mammals, sea turtles, sharks, Batoidea, Scyllarides latus (Mediterranean Slipper Lobster) and grouper, according to the categories of the IUCN red list.

Target: Releasing Israel’s marine flagship species from the threat of extinction.

Protection of Special Sites (28)

How was the state calculated? Assessment of the level of protection of places with cultural, emotional and esthetic value: the number of declared reserves relative to the number of proposed reserves, the level of exposure of archaeological sites to damage by trawlers, and the level of success of environmental battles.

Targets: Declaring 10% of Israel’s territorial waters as marine space protected by law by 2020, according to Israel’s obligations under the Barcelona Treaty. In addition, protectin Israel’s marine and coastal archaeological sites from the moment they are discovered, against hoarding activity and removing the threat of construction and development of beaches over which public battles are being waged.

Coastal Protection – the Sandy Coast (77)

How was the state calculated? The level of protection of the coastal dunes, by natural coastal dune vegetation, against storms and floods.

Target: Reconstructing the sandy beach that existed in 1970, six years after the Mines Ordinance came into force, and prior to most of the construction activity along the coastline.

Biodiversity: Protecting Marine Species and Habitats (75)

Marine Species (90)

How was the state calculated? Level of protection of marine species for which information is available, according to the categories of the IUCN red list.

Target: Releasing all marine species from the threat of extinction.

Habitats: the Soft Seabed and the Sandy Coast (61)

How was the state calculated? Level of damage to the seabed, including assessment of the area ‘ploughed’ by trawlers relative to the potential area available for trawling.

Target: Absence of disturbance by trawlers on the soft seabed.

The sandy coast: Targets are detailed in the section ‘Coastal Protection’.

Food Provisioning (13)

This is divided into two sub-targets: aquaculture and fisheries, and their relative contributions to the score are determined by the ratio between the marine aquaculture yield and the fish catch. Correct to 2012, this ratio stands at approximately 0.5.

Marine Aquaculture (15)

How was the state calculated? According to the sustainability of the process: Assessment of the yield relative to the target and to sustainability of the breeding process (source of fingerlings, breeding method, source of feed).

Target: Breeding over 8000 tonnes of fish in the sea according to the targets for 2020, while evaluating the sustainability of the breeding process.

Fish Catch (12)

How was the state calculated? Assessment of the sustainability of fishing based on data of the entire fish catch as well as models, as detailed in Halpern (2013)*.

Target: Maximizing fishing without affecting the future fish catch.

Artisanal Fishing Opportunities (25)

How was the state calculated? Assessing the sustainability of the coastal fish populations as expressed in the fish catch over many years, by the methods described in Elfes et al. (2014)**.

Target: Sufficient fish abundance to enable fishing for personal consumption or for local commerce.

Tourism and Recreation (64)

How was the state calculated? By comparing the number of rooms, occupancy relative to targets and sustainability of tourism in Israel.

Tourism in coastal cities

Target: Development to accommodate local tourism targets for the year 2020, to enable maximal occupancy of hotels in coastal cities (Netanya, Herzliya, Bat Yam, Tel-Aviv), and to maximize the number of visitors to coastal nature reserves and national parks (Achziv, Dor-Habonim, Caesaria, Beit Yanai, Apollonia and Ashkelon).

Tourism in Coastal Nature Reserves and National Parks

Target: Maximal number of visitors in each of the sites: Achziv, Dor-Habonim, Caesaria, Beit Yanai, Apollonia and Ashkelon.

Coastal Livelihoods and Economies (100)

Protection of coastal and beach-dependent jobs and of a productive coastal economy. This is divided into two sub-targets:

Livelihoods (100)

Target: Protection of the number of sea-dependent and coastal jobs and growth of incomes from these jobs (tourism and fishing from the fish catch) alongside incomes in the state economy.

Economy (100)

Target: A moving temporal comparison of income from marine industries such that it will progress together with the annual yield from all sectors of the economy.

Carbon Storage: removed from the index

Measurement of carbon storage by natural systems – sea grasses, mangroves and tidal swamps, for 100 years or more. We decided to remove this target because carbon storage by ecosystems in Israel’s region of the Mediterranean Sea is not significant.

הפוסט The Ocean Health Index for Israel הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.