The Lachish River is a charming corner in the city of Ashdod, providing places for leisure and relaxation at various times of the day.

The river and its surroundings serve as a green oasis in the area.

The river is a type of natural environment and, as such, it offers several benefits to those living near it. Being a natural environment, it serves as a center that can contribute to both our physical and mental health by encouraging us to walk, explore, and engage in physical activities. Due to its different nature compared to the city and residential areas, it has a calming effect and provides a place to recharge for individuals.

Strolling by the river can provide various recreational activities for different people away from the culture of leisure and hobbies. Thus, it offers diverse and varied points of interest.

Thanks to its nature as a complex and ecologically important environment, rich in various species of flora and fauna, the proximity of the river to residential areas allows different people to interact with nature without the need to travel to distant sites. This makes the river accessible and contemporary. Living near the river enables us to get to know nature more easily.

The river also provides another important aspect, especially in a warm country like Israel. Rivers and water bodies help cool and purify the built environment around them. Therefore, they can alleviate the phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect, where temperatures in the city are higher compared to the surrounding environment. Thanks to water’s heat-conducting properties, water droplets in the river absorb heat from the air. The flowing river transfers the accumulated heat in the water to another place, allowing the environment near it to cool down. Combined with the refreshing winds, the winds can also carry this “coolness” to areas close to the river.

Of course, being a complex natural environment with various plants, it provides an important green view for the area. Thanks to various plants (with an emphasis on trees and shrubs) performing a process called photosynthesis, they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen. On one hand, we breathe oxygen, so it’s important to have oxygen around us. On the other hand, carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, meaning it retains heat and raises the temperatures around us. Therefore, removing carbon dioxide from the air in the photosynthesis process is also important. This reduces the urban heat island effect and lowers the temperatures around us.

All of these are provided by the Lachish River for the residents of Ashdod and its surroundings.

Another Point

Although we often consider the river as a source of rainwater that floods the city, today we know that we should try to delay the arrival of rainwater to the visible riverbed. The more delayed the drainage of water reaching the river, the more of it will percolate into the aquifer (also known as the aquifer), filling important deep-water reservoirs. Don’t worry; this won’t affect the flow of water in the river. On the contrary, fresh water will remain available for us and for nature in the deep-water for a long time and will not flow directly into the salty sea.

Want to learn more about the source of the river’s water?

Look for the sign “Where Does the Water of the Lachish River Come From?“

Question:

Solve the riddle and answer: Why is it important to preserve the river space within the city?

This project was implemented with the support of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Association of Cities for Environmental Quality, and the Municipality of Ashdod.