Long before the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, leaders like David Ben-Gurion and Levi Eshkol realised that Zionism would succeed only if there was enough water for its people. At the time, Israel with over 60 per cent of its territory being a desert and another 20 per cent semi-arid, was staring at a severe water crisis.

This is why Eshkol launched Mekorot—the National Water Carrier of Israel—in 1937, which was tasked with transferring water from the Sea of Galilee in the north of the country to the highly populated arid south, through a water grid. Israelis were also trained to be more prudent with their water use. The Consul General of Israel to Mumbai, Yaakov Finkelstein, remembers how every school would educate children on saving water. "They put stickers near taps in schools to create awareness," he shared, recounting his country-s incredible journey to becoming a "water superpower" today.