Tel Aviv Municipality mapping natural sites & protecting animals: Public help sought to preserve green spaces, contractors to safeguard wildlife during construction by 2025.
By YUVAL BENGOMARCH 13, 2024
Tel Aviv-Jaffa is currently promoting two significant measures designed to preserve nature and animals in the city. The first goal is updating the natural urban site map, and the second is adopting a policy to protect animals at construction sites. These steps come with the promotion of a series of projects for the implementation of green construction, energy efficiency, and the production of renewable energy in the city. This goal will hopefully result in reducing the amount of waste and promote a climate change preparedness plan.
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai told Maariv, “In recent years, we have cleaned and cared for dozens of nature centers in the city, which allow Tel Avivians to enjoy a real travel experience without leaving the city and for visitors to get to know new urban nature sites. Maintaining nature in the city requires desire and effort, and these new measures are only part of a complete set of urban actions aimed at preserving our urban nature.”
In 2012, the first urban nature survey was conducted in the city. It referred to 52 nature sites and surveyed species of flora and fauna, environmental hazards in the city, and more.
Tel Aviv’s enthusiastic goals to preserve nature and protect animals
The survey also formed the basis for preparing a master plan for urban nature, the principles of which were implemented as instructions in the urban outline plan. Since then, however, significant changes have occurred in the city, both in the development and restoration of nature sites and in the processes of planning, construction, and urban renewal, which require an update of the existing survey.
Therefore, the municipality recently embarked on an extensive process to update the survey and calls on the public to join, influence, and participate in preserving, nurturing, and restoring the city’s natural and animal world. This can include hosting nature tours or sending inquiries with proposals for new sites.
The survey will close this fall and is open to the general public, not only to Tel Aviv residents. The results of the survey will be publicized, and the urban master plan will be updated.
In addition, similar to the procedure for preserving trees, a preliminary survey will be carried out in Tel Aviv to locate animals in lots intended for construction. The municipality will require contractors to report animals found in areas designated for development that may be harmed during construction. These animals will be collected and moved to safe places before the start of construction. This policy entered a voluntary period this year and will become mandatory for all municipalities starting in 2025.
https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-791508