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.

Developed in consultation with the Syrian government, the Assi scheme aims to develop water resources in the basin for irrigation, domestic use and hydropower.

Lebanon has announced the construction of the dam via the United Nations as per the UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (to which Israel is not a signatory), which stipulates that signatories must give “prior notification of planned measures”. The plan is currently pending.

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.

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Policy, innovation and management have helped the country address and in some cases overcome some of these challenges.

Lebanon is naturally water rich compared to other countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. However, much of this water flows to the sea unused due to inefficient use and poorly maintained or absent infrastructure.

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.