The Cabinet approved on Sunday the establishment of a network of parks, on land and sea, to stop the erosion of the Mediterranean Sea coastal escarpment. The plan will cost about 500 million shekels.
The decision was formulated by an inter-ministerial team chaired by the Prime Minister's Office.
Protecting the coastal escarpment will reduce the risk of harm to human life and to property, increase the number of bathing beaches that are accessible to the public, protect national antiquities sites along the coast (Apollonia and Tel Ashkelon), and aid in preventing the loss of state lands.
According to the decision, integrated parks will be established along 13.1 kilometers of the coastal escarpment, in populated and archaeological areas. This will be done by channeling sand to the beaches, constructing breakwaters and reinforcing the escarpment slope.
There are 45 kilometers of escarpment along the coast in danger of collapse, mainly in Netanya, Herzliya and Ashkelon. This is a natural process that has been accelerated by climatic changes and human activity, such as construction of marinas. According to expert assessments, the escarpment is expected to lose approximately 50 meters of its width over the next 50-100 years.
Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan said that, "Rehabilitating the coastal escarpment will expand beach areas, which will remain open to the public and facilitate the safe use of the escarpment areas."
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that, "We have made an important decision. This is a complex problem, since collapse of the escarpment is a continuing process. After many years of ignoring the problem, this Government is acting and is investing hundreds of millions of shekels in order to prevent the escarpment from eroding, prevent harm to human life and allow the public to safely use Israel's beaches."