In Memoriam

Saul (Shaul) Arlosoroff (1931-2024)

Shaul Arlosoroff died on February 13, 2024 at the age of 93.

I knew Shaul in Israel long before I joined the Bank in 1991. He was then deputy commissioner of the Water Commission in charge of the country’s water and sanitation sector that later became the Israel Water Authority. Shaul, as one of the founders of the Water Commission, contributed significantly to the successful development of the water sector in Israel, whose main challenge was to implement innovative solutions to address extreme water scarcity in a desert country.

In the Bank Shaul and I overlapped for a period of about two years but worked in different departments. We had friendly relations and met regularly to exchange views and information. Shaul’s important contribution to the Bank agenda was the development of Village-Level-Operated-Maintained (VLOM) handpumps to provide low cost safe and sustainable water supply to impoverished and isolated rural communities. Hundreds of thousands of such VLOM handpumps have been installed throughout the world, primarily in Africa.

After leaving the Bank Shaul was for many years involved in negotiations between Israel, the Palestine Authority and Jordan to help solve conflicts related to water resources allocations.

Shaul will be remembered for his strong and pleasant personality and for his important contributions to the successful development of the water sector in Israel and to the Bank agenda to improve water supply to the poorest rural communities.

May his soul rest in peace.

 

Menahem Libhaber
May 19, 2024