Enterprises in village Israel and their environmental impacts

For a number of years, the moshav, a typical form of Israeli smallholders' settlement, has been undergoing a series of transformations, evidenced by the growth in non-agricultural activities, whether by local initiatives or in response to external entrepreneurs, carried on within their confines. The introduction of these enterprises into the moshavim, has brought environmental nuisances and irritants whose effects are usually more severe than those created by agricultural activities. These are the source of protests by moshav residents, expressed informal complaints addressed to the agencies responsible. In a survey conducted among three moshavim at the outskirts of the Tel-Aviv metropolitan area, a region where the effects of non-agricultural activities are particularly noticable, it was found that at least 65 per cent of those surveyed perceived the force of irritants as very high or unbearable. The residents feel that real damage has been caused to their natural surroundings and, in consequence, to the quality of life on the moshav. The environmental impacts of non-agricultural enterprises on moshavim are particularly serious when they occur adjacent to the home and, when the moshavim lack appropriate infrastructures (such as drainage, sewage and waste removal systems) to minimise the extent of the nuisance.