Project Wadi Attir is a ground breaking initiative of a Bedouin community in the Negev desert of Israel, establishing a model sustainable farm that leverages Bedouin traditional values, know-how and experience with The Sustainability Laboratory’s approach to development. The project was initiated by The Sustainability Laboratory in partnership with the Hura Municipal Council. It presents an integrated, holistic approach to development, relevant to the local community, to the region, and to other arid zones around the world.
The core of the project includes an organic farming enterprise involving animal husbandry and the production of dairy products; cultivation of medicinal plants and the development of a related line of health products; and the reintroduction of nutritious, indigenous vegetables to common use. The project also includes a Visitor, Training and Education Center with a focus on ecology, sustainability innovation, and entrepreneurship. The project site will be supported by an integrated infrastructure of green technologies, including a soil enhancement program; solar energy and bio-gas production; the production of compost from organic waste; advanced irrigation management; and wastewater treatment and recycling. Project Wadi Attir’s system of integrated green technologies and waste-to-resources approach maximizes the use of renewable resources, eliminates harmful emissions, and aims for near-zero waste. The project seeks to go beyond “job creation” by creating new enterprises and empowering a community of entrepreneurs who take responsibility for their own futures and can inspire other community members to do the same. The project has been successful in creating a unique coalition of individuals and groups representing all sectors of Israeli society, and featuring cooperation between different Bedouin tribes, women in leadership roles, and a cooperative organizational structure.