Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Territorial sea (12 nm zone): 4 000 km2
- Exclusive Economic Zone: 21 000 km2
Strategic document related to MSP
- Marine Spatial Planning for Israel’s Mediterranean Waters
- National Plan for Blue Tech
- Conservation Planning in the Israeli EEZ
- MSP for Israel’s Mediterranean Waters – Monitoring, Evaluation, Revision
- Marine Spatial Planning for Eilat Bay
- Policies in the maritime space
Technical resources related to MSP
Relevant MSP projects
- MSP for Eilat Bay
- Strategic Environmental Assessment for the exploration and production of oil and natural gas
- Marine nature reserves of Achziv, Rosh Carmel and Evtach
- Marine aquaculture – Ashdod
- The Inter-ministerial Steering Committee
- National outline plan for innovative experimental facilities
- The Israeli National Center of Blue Economy & Innovation
Current status of MSP
Name of the plan |
Marine Spatial Planning for Israel’s Mediterranean Waters |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
2019 |
Size of planning area in km2
|
26 000 km2 |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Planning Administration |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Completed |
Assessments for planning
|
Completed |
Plan development
|
Completed |
Plan completion
|
Completed |
Plan approval
|
Completed |
Plan implementation
|
Underway |
Plan review
|
Underway |
MSP Typology |
|
|---|---|
Scale (Local/ Sub-national/ National)
|
National |
Scope (Coastal Zone /Coastal and Marine /Marine)
|
Coastal and Marine |
Purpose (Strategic /Zoning /Comprehensive)
|
Comprehensive |
Political commitment (Informal /Executive decision / Legal statute)
|
Executive decision |
Implementation framework (Guiding /Legally binding)
|
Guiding |
Main objectives (Biodiversity conservation / Economic development / Multiple objectives)
|
Multiple objectives |
Spatial allocation (Limited / Partial allocation /Detailed allocation)
|
Detailed allocation |
Stakeholders involved (Limited /Key sectors /Sectors & Public)
|
Sectors & Public |
Participatory process (Informative /Consultative /Collaborative)
|
Collaborative |
Funding (Government /Public-Private /Grants)
|
Government |
Name of the plan |
MMSP for Israel’s Mediterranean Waters – Monitoring, Evaluation, Revision |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
Underway |
Size of planning area in km2
|
25 000 km2 |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
Planning Administration |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Underway |
Assessments for planning
|
Completed |
Plan development
|
Underway |
Plan completion
|
Underway |
Plan approval
|
N/A |
Plan implementation
|
N/A |
Plan review
|
N/A |
National authority in charge of MSP |
Planning Administration |
Governmental funding |
yes |
External funding |
N/A |
Public-Private funding |
N/A |
Total size of planning area in km2
|
25 000 km2 |
Time required to complete the planning document |
5 years |
Main issues that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers) |
Discovery of natural gas and the subsequent activities involved in gas production and treatment, conservation of the marine environment, development of new economic sectors |
Stakeholder engagement activities |
Officials from ministries, government agencies, private sector entities, members of academia, associations and organizations dealing with the environment and society (NGO’s), education, sports, culture and heritage, municipal authorities and the general public. |
Sectors included in planning |
Management; coordination and planning; marine data &monitoring, blue growth; innovation; energy; infrastructure; shipping; security; conservation of the marine environment; sand management; marine education and sports; antiquities and heritage; fishery; preventing and coping with marine pollution |
Articulation between MSP and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IZCM) |
Included for relevant sectors |
Articulation between MSP and marine conservation (including the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) |
The conservation of natural marine resources forms the basis of the Marine Spatial Planning for Israel’s Mediterranean Waters. The MSP defines, for the first time, a comprehensive marine conservation policy, that combines a policy for nature conservation at sea, and environment protection guidelines for all sectors operating in the maritime space. The policy covers three complementary components required for the conservation of the marine environment: Spatial definition of different marine protected areas, preserving species, and guidelines for reducing and preventing adverse effects on the natural environment in relation to the activity of human sectors. Israel’s MSP defines the extensive distribution of “no take” marine protected areas, along with other marine protected areas at different levels of protection. The definition of marine areas intended for nature conservation at the various levels is based on current knowledge of ecological importance combined with principles of nature conservation – representation, size, and continuity with land protected areas. Following the approval of the MSP,a number of detailed plans for marine nature reserves in Israel’s territorial waters, in the areas allocated in the MSP, were approved. More programs are being prepared. In addition, a marine nature reserve was declared in Israel’s economic waters, in an area marked for further ecological examination in the MSP. |
Articulation between MSP and sustainable blue economy |
Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is a key tool in promoting the blue economy. Policy plans for the maritime space produce the infrastructure to fulfil the conditions required for the development of marine economies, while monitoring the environment and conserving the health of the natural marine ecosystem.The implementation of the policy document will increase the certainty of investment in the maritime space by defining rules of activity, improving coordination, reducing spatial conflicts and arranging a clear and professional structure, which together, create conditions for the development of existing and new industries. Following the approval of the MSP, the Planning Administration in Israel began drafting a national plan for innovative experimental facilities in the Mediterranean Sea. The program allocates marine areas in a variety of depths and sea conditions where entrepreneurs and researchers will be able to set up experimental facilities (pilots) for a limited period, to examine the applicability of the technology developed by them. |
Articulation between MSP and climate change (including the Paris Agreement) |
The planning administration published a temporary policy with respect to the scenario of sea level rise on the Mediterranean coast only, in the light of which plans in the coastal area will be examined, until a permanent scenario is selected by the Climate Change AssessmentAdministration, adopted by the government and the required changes accordingly. It should be emphasised that the proposed policy is in accordance with the decision of the Administration, a temporary shoreline of +1.06 if due to the accuracy of the measurement the coastline changes, a new examination and updated recommendations will be required in accordance with the results of the examination. |
Plan approval process |
approved |
Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding) |
Guiding policy, but adopted by all sectors |
Plan review process |
Started 2022 – underway |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
Completed 2022 |
Interactions with neighbouring countries in the context of MSP attending transboundary coherence approaches |
Collaboration with Cyprus regarding opportunities for joint conservation planning in the EEZ started in 2024. |
Legal framework
The draft of the Marine Areas Law comprised of charters that incorporate existing international practice and international law with stipulated detailed arrangements regarding the rights and powers of the countries over adjoining marine areas worldwide.
Contact
Ms. Anat Arieli – Director of the Ocean and Coastline Unit, National Planning Division
Beit Hashenhav – building C, 12 Beit Hadfus Street
Jerusalem, Israel