Voices from the DDD conference 2025

BGU Radio

Field recordings from the Drylands, Deserts and Desertification (DDD) Conference 2025, at Sde Boker Campus of Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). BGU Radio broadcasters interviewed diverse individuals from the conference guests, keynote speakers and staff, extracting important insights, unanswered questions and anecdotes.

  1. Episode 1

    The Sand Particle Theory: How We Reverse Desertification

    Over 1,000 attendees from 39 countries gathered in the desert to confront the urgent crisis of desertification and climate change. Conference Chair Prof. Shimon Rachmilevitch reveals a shocking 20% spike in CO2 during his career, yet remains optimistic, arguing that just like small sand particles build a beach, this generation has the power to make the real, positive change required. Tune in for crucial insights on a multidisciplinary path forward, straight from the heart of the world's most important drylands conference. Interviewer: Yuval Rafih-Noy Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

    6 min

  2. Episode 2

    Beyond Politics: Tamar Zandberg on the Moral Imperative of Climate Action

    Former Minister of Environment Protection Tamar Zandberg starts her episode by reflecting on the desert’s dramatic beauty and the clear signs of climate change she witnessed on an early morning walk. Now leading BGU's Climate Policy Institute, she discusses why the crisis demands a global moral shift in perception and reveals how regional cooperation—from the Abraham Accords to saving the Dead Sea—is essential to Israel's national security and future. Interviewer: Yuval Rafih-Noy Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

    6 min

  3. Episode 3

    The Cascading Effect: Why Climate Breaks the Whole Chain

    Professor Simon Barak sits down with PhD student Henry Rajuro to connect the climate crisis to the visionary spirit of Zionism and nation-building. Henry, originally from Kenya, gives a powerful case for global interdependence, illustrating the cascading effects of drought and sharing his own experience with the terrifying, increasing frequency of Lake Victoria's rising water levels. Tune in to hear why he believes that if we miss one link, the whole chain is broken. Interviewer: Prof. Simon Barak Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

    6 min

  4. Episode 4

    The Hyper-Arid Threat: How Climate Change Creates Bare Earth

    Ecologist Dr. Elli Gruner joins Professor Simon Baruch to reveal a shocking consequence of climate change in the Negev: the 100% collapse of an entire shrub ecosystem due to recurring consecutive droughts. Dr. Gruner critiques global climate models for ignoring the hyper-arid desert—which is 40% of the Earth's landmass—and explains how increasing extreme events are pushing arid regions toward bare-earth conditions. Tune in for a scientific reality check on the fragile desert ecosystem. Interviewer: Prof. Simon Barak Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

    11 min

  5. Episode 5

    Community as Catalyst: An Interview with Keynote Dr. Henry Ndindi

    Henry Rajuro speaks with keynote speaker Dr. Henry Emmanuel Ndindi about his rich career in health systems and the interconnected nature of global crises. Dr. Ndindi argues that a failure in one system, like access to clean water, inevitably cascades into others, such as health, and connects these systemic breakdowns to the larger climate crisis. This crucial conversation highlights why we cannot settle for specific failures, and how developing strong community resilience is the only path forward. Interviewer: Henry Rajuro Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

    13 min

  6. Episode 6

    From Food Shortage to Security: A PhD Student's Journey and Research

    BGU PhD student David Samson Isaka shares his powerful personal experience of the climate crisis, explaining how he has witnessed his community's water sources and native plant species vanish, forcing families to walk kilometers to fetch water. He discusses how this reality drives his research in plant physiology, where he studies how crops like sweet potatoes can develop a natural stress tolerance mechanism, becoming sweeter and stronger under the drought and nitrogen limitations that are "imminent" in our changing climate. Ultimately, David’s work focuses on a critical goal: helping farmers use methods like regenerative agriculture to achieve global food security despite the warming world. Interviewer: Boaz Ukelson Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

    9 min

  7. Episode 7

    Fighting Water Scarcity: 50 Years of Research on Desalination and Adaptation

    With nearly 50 years in water research, Professor Jack Gilron of the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research warns that the climate crisis is creating "major, major stress" that must be addressed through both global prevention (ending fossil fuel use) and rapid adaptation. As a specialist in desalination and water treatment, he discusses how science can help societies prepare for increased water scarcity. Prof. Gilron also highlights the DDD conference as a powerful example of Israel's commitment to sharing knowledge and cooperating with the developing world to tackle this challenge. Interviewer: Yuval Rafih-Noy Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

    16 min

  8. Episode 8

    Saving Chardonnay: Adapting Grapes to an Increasingly Arid World

    Italian agronomist and wine consultant Mauro Schippa explains how the climate crisis is affecting vineyards globally, revealing that rising temperatures are turning wine into "syrup," destroying acidity, and ruining the aromatic balance. He discusses the specific vulnerability of varieties like Chardonnay and details how wine growers must adapt through precise water and nutrition management—a technique he praises in the desert wineries of the Israeli Negev. Schippa argues that ultimately, solving the climate challenge requires a fundamental change in the unsustainable global economic approach. Interviewer: Dr. Buzi Raviv Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

    15 min
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Field recordings from the Drylands, Deserts and Desertification (DDD) Conference 2025, at Sde Boker Campus of Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). BGU Radio broadcasters interviewed diverse individuals from the conference guests, keynote speakers and staff, extracting important insights, unanswered questions and anecdotes.

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