Books by Hendrik J. Bruins
The arid frontier has been a challenge for humanity from time immemorial. Drylands cover more tha... more The arid frontier has been a challenge for humanity from time immemorial. Drylands cover more than one-third of the global land surface, distributed over Africa, Asia, Australia, America and Southern Europe. Disasters may develop as a result of complex interactions between drought, desertification and society. Therefore, proactive planning and interactive management, including disaster-coping strategies, are essential in dealing with arid-frontier development.
This book presents a conceptual framework with case studies in dryland development and management. The option of a rational and ethical discourse for development that is beneficial for both the environment and society is emphasized, avoiding extreme environmentalism and human destructionism, combating both desertification and human livelihood insecurity. Such development has to be based on appropriate ethics, legislation, policy, proactive planning and interactive management. Excellent scholars address these issues, focusing on the principal interactions between people and dryland environments in terms of drought, food, land, water, renewable energy and housing.
ISBN 90 6832 682 1, 2003
This study deals with problems of drought and drought-coping mechanisms among pastoralists living... more This study deals with problems of drought and drought-coping mechanisms among pastoralists living in arid zones in Kenya and the Negev (Israel). Its final objective is to provide input and formulate policy recommendations for the development of integrated drought contingency planning. The results are based on a cooperative effort by Kenyan, Israeli and Dutch researchers carried out under the NIRP programme between 1994 and
1999.
Papers by Hendrik J. Bruins
World geomorphological landscapes, 2024
Interdisciplinary contributions to archaeology, 2023
The rural settlements in the central Negev highlands and adjacent Sinai area, usually assigned to... more The rural settlements in the central Negev highlands and adjacent Sinai area, usually assigned to the Iron IIA, are enigmatic in terms of origin, duration and ethnicity. Very few metal objects have thus far been found at these sites. Excavations at Horvat Haluqim at the edge of an ancient terraced eld in the Eastern wadi revealed a continuous series of nely strati ed layers in which a bronze chisel was found. Radiocarbon dates for these layers range from the 14th century BCE in the deeper layers to the 12th century BCE in the upper layers. The composition of the bronze chisel, dated to the 12th century BCE, is 89.7% copper, 2.5% tin and 1% lead. The lead isotope ratios show that the origin of the copper ore is from the Faynan Dolomite-Limestone-Shale (DLS) unit. Therefore, trade relations probably existed in the 12th century BCE between Horvat Haluqim and the Faynan area. The Zin Canyon with its springs is a convenient natural east–west route that connects the Faynan area with Horvat Haluqim. Various metallurgic sites in the Faynan area, as well as in the Timna area, have radiometric absolute dates within the Late Bronze and early Iron Ages. The so-called empty second millennium BCE in the region is gradually becoming more visible with the use of geoarchaeology and radiocarbon dating. It seems that local desert inhabitants are related to these settlements, possibly the biblical Amalekites, as proposed by Beno Rothenberg more than 40 years ago.
Israel Journal of Earth Sciences, 2000
ABSTRACT The lowering of the Dead Sea level in the last seventy years has resulted in significant... more ABSTRACT The lowering of the Dead Sea level in the last seventy years has resulted in significant entrenchment along its shores. Exposed sections reveal an interbedding of facies representing abrupt environmental changes. The paleoenvironments are reconstructed based on field relations between the various facies types. Four environments are differentiated: (1) a terrigenous influx, (2) a shallow lacustrine zone, (3) a beach, and (4) a prograding fan-delta environment. The Dead Sea is a quiet-water basin with a relatively high earthquake probability and thus holds an excellent potential for the formation of seismites. The newly exposed stratigraphic sequences within the fan deltas contain soft sediment deformation structures that fit the criteria for "seismites": the deformations are stratigraphically- sandwiched between undeformed layers, show a wide lateral extent, and cyclic repetitions of the load structures are frequent. The deformation structures are found in liquefiable silty-muddy-sandy deposits which comprise a clear textural marker. Radiocarbon dating in one studied section provided age ranges from 2120 +/- 40 yr BP (GrA-14261) to 860 +/- 40 yr BP (GrA-14265).
Applied Geography, Oct 1, 1990
Science, Apr 11, 2003
Stratified radiocarbon dates provide an independent chronological link between archaeological lay... more Stratified radiocarbon dates provide an independent chronological link between archaeological layers and historical data. The invasion by Pharaoh Shoshenq I (Shishak) is a key historical synchronism, ∼ 925 B.C.E., mentioned in both Egyptian inscriptions and the Hebrew Bible. The list of places raided by Shoshenq, mentioned at Karnak (Egypt), includes Rehov (Israel). The site yielded a consistent series of radiocarbon dates from the 12th to 9th century B.C.E. Our results (i) suggest a revised Iron-Age chronology; (ii) date an archaeological stratum to Shoshenq's campaign; (iii) indicate the similarity of “Solomonic” and “Omride” pottery; and (iv) provide correlation with Greece and Cyprus.
Taylor & Francis eBooks, 2002
From the early days of statehood in 1948, it was realized by Israel’s water planners that the cou... more From the early days of statehood in 1948, it was realized by Israel’s water planners that the country’s overall water inventory was extremely limited, most unevenly and unfavorably distributed, and subject to rather high fluctuations, caused by interannual rainfall variability (Wiener, 1972) and intra-annual extremes, i.e. a long hot summer virtually without rainfall during the six-month period from May to October. The geographical disposition of water resources is unevenly distributed vis-a-vis the location of arable lands and the population centers. About 80% of Israel’s replenishable water resources are located in the wetter north of the country, but ca. 65% of the country’s arable land is located in the dry south, while some 60% of the population lives in the center of the country. Therefore, it was clear from the outset that local demands for water could generally not be supplied from local water resources. A National Water Carrier System needed to be developed for regional and national integration (Figure 1). Policy makers and water planners realized that a special institutional and legal framework had to be created in order to deal with the challenge of providing an adequate water supply throughout the year to the domestic, agricultural and industrial sectors. However, at first a pragmatic approach was adopted to allow necessary regional and local water resource development to take place within the framework of an overall national plan, as explained by Wiener (1972), who was president of Israel’s National Water Planning Organization (TAHAL) for many years since 1956, and responsible for the conception and planning of Israel’s national water development projects: “This approach made it possible to start badly needed development work immediately after the establishment of the State, without having to wait for the assembly of data and for the emergence of the complex legislative and institutional frameworks that are the prerequisite of effective comprehensive national planning. Without obstructing urgent development action, this pragmatic approach still made it possible to preserve the most vital options of later planning,
Land Degradation & Development, Mar 20, 2012
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Books by Hendrik J. Bruins
This book presents a conceptual framework with case studies in dryland development and management. The option of a rational and ethical discourse for development that is beneficial for both the environment and society is emphasized, avoiding extreme environmentalism and human destructionism, combating both desertification and human livelihood insecurity. Such development has to be based on appropriate ethics, legislation, policy, proactive planning and interactive management. Excellent scholars address these issues, focusing on the principal interactions between people and dryland environments in terms of drought, food, land, water, renewable energy and housing.
1999.
Papers by Hendrik J. Bruins
This book presents a conceptual framework with case studies in dryland development and management. The option of a rational and ethical discourse for development that is beneficial for both the environment and society is emphasized, avoiding extreme environmentalism and human destructionism, combating both desertification and human livelihood insecurity. Such development has to be based on appropriate ethics, legislation, policy, proactive planning and interactive management. Excellent scholars address these issues, focusing on the principal interactions between people and dryland environments in terms of drought, food, land, water, renewable energy and housing.
1999.