The management of water is a key environmental concern in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Studies show that there is not enough water to meet the needs of the Palestinian population and water quality is poor. Palestinians control less than 20% of their water resources and the control of scarce water plays an important part in the conflict.
Wastewater generated from Palestinian cities, villages and Israeli
settlements is the primary source of pollution. Currently, only about 24% of the total population in the oPt is served by a central public urban sewage system, and less than 5% of the municipal sewage collected is subject to treatment. In Gaza, the lack of proper wastewater treatment facilities is leading to the discharge of
untreated or partially treated sewage directly and indirectly to the
sea.
The improper handling of solid waste also contributes to poor water quality and land degradation. Waste collection systems have left large
areas (estimated at 25% of the population) of towns and villages un-serviced.
Industrial effluents are also an important source of pollution. Most
of the factories discharge their wastewater and solid waste without
proper treatment to the municipal sewage system.
The overuse of ground and surface water has led to a catastrophic situation: infiltration of saltwater and pollutants into the aquifers, and the drying up of springs and rivers. Among the primary causes are
the use of extensive irrigation for agriculture, and high levels of
leakage due to a poorly maintained network of pipes.
Building appropriate systems to preserve the environment...
A core element of the European Union's (EU) response has been to fund infrastructure projects that aim to reduce the amount of untreated wastewater, through the construction of sewage systems and wastewater treatment plants.
The EU has also funded numerous projects for the collection, transfer and the safe disposal of solid waste, including industrial waste.
Promoting shared solutions...
A second focus area for the EU's support to the environmental sector
is the promotion of regional dialogue between neighbouring states and municipalities. Access to and the management of water involves, in most cases, several states, as they share the same aquifers. It is within a regional framework that global and sus- tainable solutions are to be found. The EU has therefore provided funding to projects promoting regional dialogue through workshops and joint assessments, involving key stakeholders at different levels (community-level,municipal, national and regional).
Looking ahead...
Concerned by the dramatic trend of environmental degradation in the Mediterranean region, the EU has launched the "Horizon 2020"
initiative to de-pollute the Mediterranean by 2020. Within this
framework, the main sources of pollution in the oPt will be identified
and projects will be designed accordingly, to which the EU will
contribute funding.
The EU has also mainstreamed environmental concerns into all its
cooperation projects. For example, dealing with cooperation in the
agricultural sector, the EU will only support environmentally friendly
projects. A promising future area of intervention involves the reuse
of partially treated wastewater for agricultural purposes.
The EU intends to play a leading role in this area as it combines three crucial issues for the oPt: poverty reduction, economic development, and preservation of the environment.
Source : UE Fed.Palestine
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