Energy and Buildings, 11 (1988) 73 - 89 73 Climatic Aspects in Rural Settlement Development in Hot, Arid Zones: A Case Study of the Central Jordan Valley ODED POTCHTER Department of Geography, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv (Israel) SUMMARY The characteristics of hot, arid climates include: slight precipitation, high temperature in the summer, low temperature in the winter, low humidity, strong winds and dust storms. These climatic conditions of the hot, arid zones create an uncomfortable environment for man. The state of Israel has performed a major settlement operation in the Jordan Valley in terms of both time and space. The climate of this valley conforms to the above-mentioned desert conditions. The research examined the operation of thissettlement development. The methodology of this research was con- ducted on three levels:a regional level,a local or settlement structure level and the level of building design. On the basis of these conclu- sions, the research suggests some climate prin- ciples for consideration in development of settlement activitiesand planning in hot, arid zones. INTRODUCTION Twenty six percent of the continental sur- face area is classified as "hot arid climate" according to Koepan's classification. This is the largest area which any climatic classifica- tion occupies. The characteristics of the hot, arid climates include slight precipitation, high temperature in the summer, low temperature in the winter, low humidity, strong winds and dust storms. These climatic conditions of the hot, arid zones create an uncomfortable envi- ronment for man. In recent years there has been growing interest in Israel and worldwide in 'settling' the desert. It is now possible to settle the desert using progressive technology that can overcome the basic elements of the desert climate which made settlement difficult in the past. In Israel the desert occupies three fifths of the country, and, for geopolitical reasons, desert settlement is a priority. Indeed the spirit of conquering the desert has become part of Israeli ideology. The settlement operation in the Jordan Valley is a major operation in terms of both time and space. Since 1970, thirty settlements and one city have been established. Thus, be- cause of the scale and originality of the opera- tion, it is important to examine the success of this planned major desert settlement opera- tion and to study the climatological lessons of this program for future desert settlement planning. This research concentrates on a section of the Central Jordan Valley, known as the Petzael Valley. This is a relatively wide plain, 12 km long from north to south, with an average width west to east of 7.5 kin. In the west the area is bordered by the Samarian Mountain range, and in the east by the Jordan River. The northern border of the area is the Malaha River, and the southern border is a chain of hills,which surround it in a kind of crescent. Only four settlements which are characteristic of most settelement types in the Jordan Valley are included in this research area: these consist of two villages,Petzael and Netiv Hagdud; one collective village-- Tomer, and one kibbutz -- Gilgal (see Figs. 1 and 2). METHODOLOGY OF THE RESEARCH Figure 3 presents the methodology devel- oped for this work. The Figure describes the relationship between climatic conditions and planning phases at various levels. 0378-7788/88/$3.50 © Elsevier Sequoia/Printed in The Netherlands