The State of Israel is located on the southwest tip of the Asian continent, in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea. Israel has a total area of 22,072 km2, 97.6% of which is land and 2.4% of which is marine. Despite the economic crisis of 2008-2009, when GDP growth fell to just 1.3% in 2009, Israel’s economic growth has continued to be strong, growing at an average annual rate of approximately 4% over the 2010-2016 period. While manufacturing, mining, quarrying and construction contribute to 17.8% of Domestic Product (DP), agriculture contributes to 1.1% of DP (2015). The population of Israel has been rising steadily since 2000, reaching 8.62 million in 2016, with a population density of 380.2 people per km2. During 2000-2016, the annual population growth rate between was 1.92%, of which 14.9% was from net immigration. Israel lies in a transition zone between the hot and arid southern part of West Asia and the relatively cooler and wetter northern Mediterranean region. The northern part of Israel is characterized by a Mediterranean climate, while the southern part is arid, with a narrow, semi-arid strip in between. Israel’s climate is characterized by hot summers and mild winters, and rainfall varies significantly across the country and from year to year. The Israel Meteorological Service (IMS) predicts that climate change will increase the number of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heatwaves. According to Israel’s Third National Communication, mean annual temperature has increased steadily since 1990. Israel submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC in September 2015.