Gaza’s water crisis affects every one of the territory’s 1.76 million inhabitants. The heavy pollution of water resources in the Gaza Strip has a severe impact on public health; children are particularly at risk from water-related diseases. In addition, the local economy, agricultural production in particular, and the environment suffer the consequences of the water scarcity and pollution.

The political climate in the Middle East makes it impossible to discuss water without addressing the political contexts that have shaped its availability.

Israel’s population has grown from an estimated 806,000 inhabitants in 1948 to around 7.73 million people in 2013 – an increase of more than 800% in 67 years.

Cumulative water use in 2013 was around 2,187 MCM, exceeding natural water supply by about 45%. This deficit is increasingly made up for by alternative water sources.

In 1997, the World Bank described the water situation in Gaza as an “emergency state of affairs”. Yet nearly 20 years on, the levels of pumping have only increased, pollution has worsened and large parts of the water infrastructure in the area have been damaged or destroyed. Why was Gaza’s “emergency state of affairs” left to deteriorate beyond the point of repair?

The Gaza Strip has been facing a steadily worsening water crisis for the past decade. Overall, more than 96% of water in the Gaza Strip is unfit for human use.

1- Amnesty International, Troubled Waters – Palestinians Denied Fair Access To Water, 2009. Available at: http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdf/mde150272009en.pdf  2- FOEME, Towards a Living Jordan River: An Environmental Flows Report on the Rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River, 2010. Available at: https://www.globalnature.org/bausteine.net/file/showfile.aspx?downdaid=7273&domid=1011&fd=0  3- Palestinian Water Authority, Water Resources Directorate, Gaza Water Resources Status Report, 2013/2014, December 2014. Available at: http://goo.gl/P2gbu7 4- […]

In response to the humanitarian water crisis in Gaza, the PWA initiated the Gaza Sustainable Water Supply Program (GSWSP), which takes a comprehensive approach to increasing water supply in Gaza …

Per capita water availability in Palestine will keep decreasing if no new water resources are developed. Since its creation in 1995, the PWA has dealt with water supplies by negotiating for a fair share of water resources with Israel. Unfortunately, the results of these efforts have not lead to any further increase in the Palestinian share from the Mountain Aquifer and the Jordan River in the West Bank or the Coastal Aquifer in Gaza. In fact, the situation has worsened over the years.