Water (illustration)
Water (illustration)Thinkstock

No fewer than 13 Israeli water companies participated in a "water delegation" to parched Brazil just before Passover – in an effort to help the country overcome what officials call its "water challenge."

Brazil is currently experiencing its worst water shortage ever, due to increased water use, low rainfall levels, and low infrastructure investments. The Israeli economic offices in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, in cooperation with Israel NewTech and the Israeli Export Institute, organized the delegation. 

Israel NewTech, an arm of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, was founded on the principle that Israel's water and renewable-energy sectors can be strong growth industries for the country, and can also play an important role in finding solutions for the world’s rising needs. It helps advance these sectors by supporting academia and research, encouraging local market implementation, and helping Israeli companies succeed in the international arena.

Other current Israeli ventures abroad include a plan to set up a dairy farm in India to help increase milk production, construction of a 7.5MW solar power plant for 60,000 households in Burundi, Africa, and a joint venture with Canada to provide equipment and training to farmers in the Ukraine.  

Boaz Albaranes, Israeli Economic Officer in Sao Paulo, told the Israel NewTech site that in the long run, “Brazil will need to invest in strategic planning to overcome its water challenge, just like Israel has done. But for the ‘quick fix,’ water conservation technologies are key – and all of the Israeli companies in the delegation offer solutions to maximize existing water resources, each in a different way."

The delegation met with between 80 and 150 Brazilian water professionals at each of five events during their visit. According to Daniel Kobar, the Israeli Economic Officer in Rio de Janeiro, the Israeli companies are facing quite an opportunity, "based on my conversations with the water utilities in Rio… However, the Israeli industry will have to work hard to take advantage of the opportunity because international water companies also have their eye on this market."

Israel NewTech's chief water expert Adi Yefet said, “Actually, Brazil is in a similar situation to where Israel was in the past, in its urgent water crisis. Through strong strategic planning and technological innovation, Israel was able to overcome its huge water challenge. This experience can be very valuable to the Brazilian water industry.”

The Israeli companies that comprised the delegation were: Amiad, Aqwise, Arad, ARI, Atlantium, Bermad, Dorot, Mapal, Mekorot, Miya, Realiteq, RWL Water and Takadu.