INPA

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) is a governmental body responsible for the protection of nature, landscape and heritage in Israel.

To carry out these functions properly, the INPA has three main goals:

1. Protection of biodiversity, ecosystems and landscapes in national parks, nature reserves and open spaces.
2. Protection of heritage sites in national parks and nature reserves and fostering them for the benefit of visitors.
3. Education to instil the values of protection of nature, landscape and heritage sites and to increase public awareness of these issues.

In August 1963, the Knesset passed the National Parks and Nature Reserves Authority, establishing two separate government bodies, the National Parks Authority and the Nature Reserves Authority. These two bodies were unified in 1998 to become the INPA.

As of May 2007, 190 nature reserves and 66 national parks have been officially declared so far, covering an area of approximately 20 percent of Israel’s land mass. But the INPA does not rest on its laurels: More than 200 additional proposed nature reserves and national parks are in various stages of the declaration process.