Minister Ezra said that sustainable development is an integrated development of economy, society and environment that takes into account the rights and ability of future generations to live in comfort and wellbeing.  According to the Minister, in the last local elections the matter of environment was one of the top priorities for most of the municipalities in Israel and a large portion of the voters gave the candidates' stand on protection of the environment a relatively great weight in their deliberations regarding who they would vote for.  Minster Ezra believes that the public expects its representatives to act and to run the municipalities according to environmental principles.

Among the matters that the Ministry of Environmental Protection people will be presenting to the mayors are environmental education, planning, water, municipal and industrial waste, contaminated land, pest control, construction rubbish, noise, and air quality.  

Sustainable development is particularly pertinent for Eilat.  As Eilat is a tourist resort, sustainable tourism is a very relevant agenda, and sustainable development is an aspect of this.  During the last month a weekly workshop has been underway on this very subject, given by Professor Yoel Mansfeld who is a world expert in the field.  Today was the third out of four sessions, and the last will be held this coming Sunday.  You can read about the material presented thus far here:   

Part I