Yosef Tamir, chairman of Life and Environment, the umbrella organization for 37 "green" movements throughout the country, said a start should be made immediately to reduce water consumption by at least 10 percent.

Tamir said his organization had formulated a program for the water authority, in case of emergency, and this would be submitted at a meeting next week of all the member associations.

Water Commissioner Meir Ben-Meir said it is too early to talk of cutting water quotas to farmers or implementing any other measures to reduce consumption generally.

However, he has "already recommended to the infrastructure minister to start planning and building the first desalination project," which he said is the only way of introducing additional water into the region.