Open Landscape Institute (OLI)

Israel has been suffering from a severe land shortage. While relatively small in size, the rapid growth of its population and the fact that land is used in a wasteful way, pose a real threat upon any remaining open land in the country. Unfortunately, without proper attention, this threat could prove irreversibly destructive to Israel’s environment.
Open spaces are the basis of life for people and natural phenomena alike. The unique natural and cultural heritage found in Israel, so meaningful to Jews, Muslims and Christians here and around the world, is found in her open landscapes. Safeguarding our open landscapes is essential for the supply of vital environmental and social services that will ensure the quality of

The Open Landscape Institute (OLI) is a research institute of the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University. OLI focuses on developing policy tools and datasets for promoting the protection of land resources and open landscapes in Israel.

Goals and Activities:

· Policy research – in landscape protection related fields, such as: ecosystem services, sustainable agriculture, land management policy, land use economics, recreation, spatial planning, transportation and infrastructure.

· Landscape surveys – evaluating the natural and cultural resources of areas that are facing development pressures, so that hotspots and cultural assets will be protected.

· Raising awareness of decision-makers and planners, and promoting public participation in the protection of landscapes and their ecosystem services.

Current research fields:

· Biodiversity conservation on farmland

· Payment for ecosystem services, especially for grasslands and pastures

· Preservation of small-area biodiversity hotspots

· Wildlife corridors and farmland

· Recreation and biodiversity – do biodiversity hotspots attract more visits?

OLI is an active member of the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).