In the second phase of the pilot project, olive trees will be planted in Khan Yunis, Gaza. Fanack, LLC and the UAWC are planning to initiate additional projects in the near future.

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?

Treating wastewater will eliminate environmental degradation, improve public health and increase water availability, as the treated water will be reused for agriculture. The PWA has conducted several studies on building new treatment plants and rehabilitating existing ones throughout the West Bank with the support of international donors. In its strategy published in 2014, the PWA states that three new wastewater treatment plants are under reconstruction, and six feasibility studies have been conducted for constructing additional treatment plants.

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- […]