If you think that the desert is just 
camels and dunes, think again.
The desert is a place where we can
and we must grow food sustainably. 
Drylands cover over 40% of the earth 
and are home to over 2.2 billion people. 
Given climate change, those numbers are likely to grow. 
Here, at Ben Gurion University
Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research
scientists are developing solutions to some
of the worlds greatest problems
in the fields of water scarcity, food security  
and clean energy. 
We are located in the heart of the Israeli Negev desert.
We have extremely high temperatures during the summer
and Israel is unique because our deserts 
are just decreasing in size and this 
is exactly because our activity.
We are making the desert bloom
and this is something very unique to Israel 
and very unique to the Blaustein
Institutes for Desert Research. 
We check the mechanism in which plants 
are surviving in this areas and we are trying 
to bring the knowledge that we are collecting here
in order to make farmers in different areas
grow this kind of crops with the 
technique that we are developing here.
This was once sea water, now after desalination 
it is fresh water to drink.
Desalination this days provide more 
than 80% of what Israelis drink.
Our technology is implemented in countries such as
the US, Australia, Africa and Europe as well.
And of course, there is plenty 
of sunshine here in the desert!
Here at the Ashalim Solar Thermal Power
Station in Israel’s Negev desert
more than 50,000  mirrors follow the sun
and reflect sunlight onto a boiler
on top of a 250-meter tower.
The electricity generated here will be enough 
to power over 120,000 homes.
The desert is an incredible place. 
We can face global challenges together
growing more with less, and leaving no one behind.
If you care, share! 
