Environmental Administration in Israel

From the beginning of civilization, the public administration has been responsible for overseeing, coordinating, organizing, directing, supervising, and managing man’s private and public activities. The attempt to understand how Man acts in relation to his environment, and to direct Man’s activities in a way that can prevent serious environmental damage, is therefore the role of the public administration — specifically the environmental administration.

Beginning in the early twentieth century, health ministries were generally responsible for environmental management. Gradually, responsibility for environmental issues was transferred to government ministries, public authorities and other management bodies. Environmental management was generally concentrated within one central administrative body, while the Ministry of Health maintained authority over public and environmental health issues only.

Environmental damage does not recognize geographical boundaries, although environmental problems do vary in different parts of the world. This study includes an analysis of the environmental administrations in twenty-three countries from different regions and continents. The analysis shows that there is no uniform administrative pattern.The form of environmental management varies from country to country according to many factors, including the size of the country, form of government, unique environmental problems, level of economic development, political situation, historical background, etc.

Although there is no one model, the central, environmental administrative authority is usually designed in one of three ways:

◆ One environmental ministry, with total authority over environmental issues.

◆ One environmental ministry, which also coordinates other ministries’ environmental activities.

◆ Several ministries or administrative bodies with authority in environmental issues.