The Nitzanim Sand Dune Nature Reserve is a 21,600 dunam area within the Nitzanim Sands area between Ashdod and Ashkelon on the Southern Coastal Plain of the Israeli Mediterranean Sea coast.[1][2][3][4]
| Nitzanim Nature Reserve | |
|---|---|
| שמורת טבע חולות ניצנים | |
 Nitzanim Nature Reserve map | |
 | |
| Location | Southern Coastal Plain, Israel |
| Nearest city | Ashdod, Ashkelon |
| Coordinates | 31°44′13″N 34°36′53″E / 31.73694°N 34.61472°E |
| Area | 21,600 dunams (21.6 km2; 8.3 sq mi) |
| Established | 2005 |
It was declared as a public area in early 1980s by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and designated as a nature reserve on June 2, 2005.[1]
The Reserve includes a small settlement of Nitzan located in place of the Nitzanim kibbutz, which was resettled some 3-4 km to the south.
The reserve is split in two parts by the Nahal Evtah (Evtach, Avtah) (Hebrew: נחל אבטח) wadi (Wadi el Ibtah) which leads to the Nitzanim Beach by the sea. The beach is a public area not part of the Reserve. The area south of the stream is designated for the IDF recruit training base Batar Nitzanim (Camp Yehoshua)[5] and is closed to public. The northern part is open to public all year round free of charge.[2]
In 2005, during the Israeli disengagement from Gaza there was a controversial plan to resettle some Israeli settlers from Gaza Strip to the Nitzanim Dunes area. [6]
See also
editReferences
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- ^ a b "Nitzanim Nature Reserve"
- ^ a b "Nitzanim Sands Reserve", Ashdod Travellers Guide at the Ashdod municipal website
- ^ "Nitzanim Dunes: Wealth of Flora Endangered by Construction", Haaretz, April 5, 2005
- ^ P. Kutiel, "Conservation and Management of the Mediterranean Coastal Sand Dunes in Israel", Journal of Coastal Conservation, Vol. 7, No. 2 (2001), pp. 183-192, JSTOR 25098365
- ^ "Batar Nitzanim (Camp Yehoshua)"
- ^ (BBC) (Haaretz)