Voices from the DDD conference 2025

Dorit Korine, the conference manager who has been steering the Drylands, Deserts and Desertification (DDD) Conference since its second run, shares the history and unique ethos of the event. She explains how the conference started as a one-time success and quickly became a tradition, emphasizing that its value lies in its deeply multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary structure—forcing water researchers to attend health sessions, for example. Dorit highlights that this intentional mixing of fields fosters breakthroughs and collaborations that extend far beyond the conference floor, making the DDD Conference a truly unique and vital platform for addressing the world's most urgent climate issues. Interviewer: Boaz Ukelson Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center, Yazamut360

Dr. Neta Tsur, a scientist with a diverse background in physics, environmental sciences, and ecology, shares her unique perspective on finding solutions to the climate crisis. She argues that creative problem-solving requires looking at environmental challenges from all resolutions—from the deep physics of plant processes to macroscopic field measurements—to find solutions that are not obvious. Neta emphasizes the power of transferable skills (like data analysis) to bridge disciplines and develop the necessary nature-based solutions for arid agriculture and a sustainable future. Interviewer: Amir Avnieli Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center, Yazamut360

Dr. Yahel Kurlander, a specialist in agricultural labor migration, connects her field to the climate crisis, explaining how workers—particularly Thai migrants—are highly vulnerable to the escalating severe heat in agriculture and often lack the ability to refuse unsafe working conditions. She shares the emotional context of her work, including her efforts following the October 7th attacks to house and assist Thai migrant workers who escaped the massacre in the Gaza envelope. The conversation highlights that the nexus of environment, health, and labor is a critical humanitarian challenge that requires immediate policy focus. Interviewer: Amir Avnieli Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

Moses Banda Aron interviews Victor Kanyema, former Program Manager for Partners in Health in Malawi, about his first visit to Israel for the DDD Conference. Victor shares his surprise at finding Israel "calm" compared to its media portrayal and reflects on the spiritual significance of visiting the Holy Land. The two discuss the universal challenge of climate change, which impacts everything from agriculture to mental well-being globally. Victor's key takeaway is the critical need for developing strong community resilience—systems that empower people to "bounce back" from environmental and climatic shocks. Interviewer: Moses Aaron Banda Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

Public health professional Moses Banda Aron (Moshe) from Malawi joins the podcast to discuss his work tackling a severe and often neglected disease: snake bites. He explains that people in the global South who work in rural and agricultural areas which change as climate changes, are highly exposed to this risk. Aron shares his personal journey from mathematics to public health, and details his current project: working with doctors to establish a call center to provide crucial guidance for snake bite cases, highlighting the desperate need for local, community-based health solutions in drylands. In the background you can hear happy voices from the conference lunch break. Interviewer: Shahar Livne Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

Professor Nadav Davidovitch, a public health physician and epidemiologist, joins the podcast to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the dedicated Health Sessions at the DDD Conference, noting the high quality of international and local participation. He reviews sessions on climate change preparedness and infectious disease, and previews a "Food, Health, and Resilience" tour focused on addressing obesity in the Bedouin community and using teaching kitchens. Professor Davidovitch leaves one core lesson: achieving climate and desertification goals requires "Health in all policies"—a systemic implementation built on solidarity and trust across government, NGOs, and the community. Interviewer: Shahar Livne Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

Nuria Levy, Course Director at Mashav, Israel's agency for international development, discusses the crucial link between climate, business, and gender. She explains how their course on empowering women through innovative agribusiness brings international professionals from emerging economies like Ghana, Cambodia, and Ukraine to the DDD Conference, underscoring the severe economic impact of drylands and desertification on women worldwide. Tune in to learn how international cooperation and development are fighting the climate crisis on the ground. Interviewer: Boaz Ukelson Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

Merav Battat, Director of the Negev Urban Research Lab (NUR) , discusses the unique challenge of desert urbanism and mitigating extreme heat in cities like Beersheba. She reveals how the lab is using 3D scanning and digital twinning to create urban platforms that test scenarios—like turning a boulevard into a forest—to help decision-makers design more resilient streets and improve human comfort. Tune in to hear how this unique MIT-affiliated lab is adapting cities for climate change. Interviewer: Boaz Ukelson Edits: Dr. Buzi Raviv BGU Radio is an educational program and it is part of BGU's entrepreneurship center Yazamut360.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Welcome to the heart of the Drylands, Deserts and Desertification Conference! We set up our radio station right in the thick of it—the campus roundabout —to intercept over 1,000 brilliant people (researchers, policymakers, and dreamers) who came to tackle life on the edge. Tune in to capture the energy, the human stories, and the good vibes as the desert speaks, and sometimes argues. Listen to our brave broadcasters Boaz and Yuval talk about what was it about that roundabout that was so special.