Water Resources & the Major Issues in the Palestinian Territories

GEOL – 150 – 01Dr. Harbor

Belek Ibraev3.15.12

Educate Your Community “Educate Your Community”-Research Action Assignment as

a part of the CESR efforts to bring attention to the major water issues in the Palestinian Territories(the West Bank and the Gaza Strip)

Water is a human right Comparing Water Consumption

Water consumption in Palestine-only 70 l/d, which is well below the 100l/d minimum recommended by the WHO (AI; 2009; p. 5) WHO – World Health Organization

Water consumption in Israel - is 400 l/d, and the Israeli settlers in the Palestinian Occupied Territories average 800 l/d (Aufleger, Mett; 2011; p.245)

The efficient water management and supply is critical to the economic development – agriculture, tourism, industry

Water Quality In the Gaza Strip, only 9% of the wells are suitable

for human consumption (PWA, 1995) Water-related diseases – significant increase in

diarrheal and infectious diseases Bad sanitation Lack of the hygienic practices

Where does water come from? (PASSIA;2007)• Surface Water

• Jordan River and its tributaries

• Ground Water (Aquifers) • Northeastern Aquifer• Western Aquifer • Eastern Aquifer

• Coastal Aquifer • Natural Springs• Rainfall

Overview of Major Water Supply and Management Issues in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Gaza Strip Irregular water supply

Arid and semi – arid climate Growing Demand – Annual population growth 5.4% Limited access – Israeli Water Authorities’ Water Meters

Water distribution network losses Underdevelopment and functional obsolescence of water infrastructure, particularly

in ad-Dhahiriya, Jabalia, Beit Sahour, Beit Jala and Khan Yunis. Lipchin, Sandler and Cushman (2007), concluded that “roughly 50% of the total

water supply is lost to leaks in old and deteriorating network” (Lipchi, Sandler, Cushman; 2007; p. 76).

Depleted, contaminated, salinated water Over-extraction of the shallow coastal aquifer leads to sea water and salt

groundwater intrusion Contamination by pesticides and fertilizers, which are used for agricultural purposes

and also are found in the raw sewage. Only 25% of the Palestinian communities are connected to the general sewage

network -> 50% of all water samples indicate that nitrate levels are around or above the 50 mg/l maximum standard established by the European Community (PASSIA; 2002; p. 12)

No piped water for many Palestinian communities, particularly in the rural area Selby (2003) 150 villages/communities in the southern West Bank are not served with

piped water, the issue which compels many Palestinians to obtain all of their water supplies through other means

The vast majority of the Palestinians have to buy expensive and unregulated truck water With almost 70% workforce unemployed, average Palestinian family “spends as much

as 37% of their expenditure on purchasing water” (El-Nasser; 2009; p. 114)

Fact Sheet of the Water Issues in the Gaza Strip

Gaza has experienced fresh water crises for years Water consumption – 146 MCM/year Renewable Water – 60 MCM/year Deficit in Water Supply-86MCM/year

Annual population growth 5.4% Gaza’s coastal aquifer is the major water resource

The aquifer is shallow and is continuously over pumped sea water and salt groundwater intrusion

Contamination of the ground water Fertilizers and pesticides – Agriculture and raw sewage Only 25% of the households are attached to the sewage network Levels of nitrates and chlorides exceed significantly the WHO

standards for drinking water-more than 50 and 250 mg/l respectively

Aquifers have elevated of heavy metals and high chemical oxygen demand/bio-chemical oxygen demand rations-> indicating the presence of bio-degradable industrial

contaminants (METAP;2001) Intestinal parasites have been found in Lake Tiberias and the

Jordan River Basin Lack of sanitary drinking or bathing water->Water related diseases-as

high as 64% in the West Bank (El-Nasser; 2009) dysentery, leptospirosis, typhoid fever “blue baby syndrome”

Salinity-MIT report concludes that within 20years agriculture will not be possible in the Gaza Strip

Agriculture as a part of Palestine’s GDP-36% (El-Nasser) Environmental Issue-raw sewage flows into the Mediterranean sea

High percentage of pollutants-ammonia and hydrogen sulfide

Fact Sheet of the Water Issues in the West Bank (CESR; 2001)

Arid or semi – arid climate->water scarcity Irregular water supply across the West Bank (particularly in

the summer periods) Water Supply

Consumption 146 MCM/year Renewable water – 108 MCM/year Water balance deficit-38 MCM/year Inequitable distribution of the Mountain Aquifers renewable

water-85% of the mountain aquifers is controlled by the Israeli Water Authorities-water resources are there but the Palestinians do not have access to them Total-679MCM/year The Israeli consumption-483 MCM/year Palestine- 108 MCM/year

Annual population growth 5.4% Ban on all Palestinian well- drilling in the area (El-Nasser; 2009) 215 000 Palestinians (26% of the West Bank household) have no

access to piped water at all Third of the West Bank residents have to buy water –

unregulated and expensive trucked water Increasing price for water – 39% of household expenditure security wall - Separation from the Water sources – Increase in water-related disease

Underdevelopment of distribution networks, which supply households with contaminated water, evidently correlates with increase in water-related diseases, including dysentery, leptospirosis, typhoid fever, etc.

Untreated sewage and wastewater from the Israeli settlements – 30 mcm of wastewater annually

Highly polluting Israeli industries – 200 industries in 7 industrial zones

Ongoing Water Projects in Palestine: Examples of Possible Solutions to the Water Issues in Palestine Desalination plant projects

security funding and technical assistance by the European Investment Bank as a part of the EU’s humanitarian program)

100 million m3

Rainwater catchment system projects (Canada) International Development Research

Center 11 rooftop rainwater catchment systems

Wastewater treatment projects-(USA) United States Agency for International

Development Financed interim program to upgrade

and expand Municipality of Gaza’s Wastewater Treatment Plant

Upgrade the quality to the suggested standard-40mg/l of BOD and 30 mg/l of TSS

Conclusion and Recommendations for the Palestinian Water Authorities:

Population growth and demand management is the key to the water issues in Palestine

Partial privatization – management of the resource as an economic commodity

30-50% More efficient utilization

Losses through distribution system-1200 km- leak detection/repair/possible replacement

Encouragement of conservation and protection Reduction of the rates of wastewater and

improvement of the existing waste water treatment facilities

Improving quality of the discharged water Improvement of the water use in agro-economic

sector Appropriate technology strategies Stop overexploitation of the water resources Introduction of the clear water regulations

Development of the legislative framework regarding water extraction

Ban on the illegal wells Promotion of the Institutional Development

Management and technical programs Implement customer service system

Supervise non-point pollution of the Mountain Aquifers in the West Bank

Particularly runoff and drainage from the agricultural fields

Introduction of impurities in the surface water body or aquifers

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