- 13 sept 2010
(1:40) Palestinians still thirsty for wells as costs keep rising 12 jan 2012, 13:11 , Respect -
-
-
-
-
Water Crisis in Palestine Is Worsening
The wind finally came to Palestine, a friend of mine told me on the phone today, from his home in Battir, a small village near Bethlehem. Now we can finally breathe. He said he was relieved that the sweltering Palestinian summer was nearing its end and Autumn was showing its colors in the parched hillsides and in the air. But the water in my friend's home, in his village and across occupied Palestine is still slow to trickle, as it has been for months.
As Jewish Israelis enjoy trips to the beach, neighborhood swimming pools, unfettered access to clean drinking water, state-of-the-art sewage treatment infrastructure, and endless amounts of running water in their homes, Palestinians in communities separated by boundaries, walls, and checkpoints brace and prepare each time the weather heats up and the antiquated wells dry up. For weeks on end especially in the refugee camps inside the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip there simply is no water coming from the tap, and people are forced to purchase bottled water just to meet their daily needs.
For Palestinians under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, and in Palestinian-Bedouin communities inside Israel itself, water has historically been a precious commodity especially in the summer months which can stretch, like this year's, for over five months because of the ongoing resource theft of groundwater tables by the Israeli state and the economic blockade the government continues against the people in Gaza.
According to current statistics by Amnesty International, Israel takes 80% of the water in the Mountain aquifers in the north (one of many water sources available to Israel, including the state's full access to the Jordan River, which runs inside the occupied West Bank); while Palestinians in the West Bank are left with just the remaining 20% of that one aquifer, and are prohibited from accessing water from the Jordan river altogether.
However, in Gaza, 95% of the groundwater is extremely polluted and deemed unfit for human consumption, according to new reports from Israeli human rights organization B'tselem (http://www.btselem.org/English/Gaza_Strip/20100823_Gaza_water_crisis.asp). The water crisis has entered into a troubling phase as Israel maintains its suffocating blockade against the 1.5 million Palestinians trapped inside the strip. This blockade, which has been in place as collective punishment following the Hamas party's political takeover in 2007, prevents entry to hundreds of items including essential industrial materials needed to repair the water infrastructure.
The Electronic Intifada reported on B'tselem's findings back in September (http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11517.shtml):
Citing reports from the United Nations Environment Program, the Palestinian Water Authority, the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility and international aid organizations, B'Tselem's report says that children are being especially affected by the water crisis in Gaza. The report references the over-pumping of groundwater, combined with poor wastewater management systems and the toxification of ground soil from waste disposal sites where asbestos, medical waste, oils and fuels were dumped after Israel's three-week attacks in 2008-09. As a result, according to B'Tselem, chemicals such as chlorides and nitrates are contributing to excessive diseases and internal injuries, especially in Gaza's children.
Israeli air strikes during the winter attacks also damaged wastewater treatment plants in Gaza, and damaged thirty kilometers of water networks, eleven wells and six thousand residential water tanks. Reports estimate that the damage to the water infrastructure amounted to approximately $6 million.
According to international aid organizations, twenty percent of Gazan families have at least one child under age five who suffers from diarrhea as a result of polluted water, B'Tselem reports. UN study published in 2009 estimates that diarrhea is the cause of 12 percent of children's deaths in Gaza. The lack of potable drinking water is liable to cause malnutrition in children and affect their physical and cognitive development.
Moreover, the blockade and the bombings have affected the sewage infrastructure as well. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza City released a shocking report in August on the toxification of the sea itself because of the deterioration of Gaza's wastewater treatment plants.
Gaza's current wastewater treatment facilities were constructed with an operational capacity of 32,000 cubic meters of waste a day, states the report (http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11455.shtml).
With a growth rate that is one of the world's highest an estimated 3.6 percent annually Gaza's surging population has overwhelmed the capacity of the waste treatment facilities, and Monther [Shoblak, director general of the Coastal Municipality Water Utility] estimates that the facilities are now receiving at least 65,000 cubic meters of waste daily. Unable to handle more than half of its intake, much of the sewage is directly transported to the sea, where it is dumped completely untreated. Much of this sewage washes back onto Gaza's shores, polluting the beaches and creating toxic swimming conditions for the countless children and adults seeking escape from the intense summer heat, the report continued.
Facts like these are staggering, and nothing new to Palestinians who have experienced decades of humanitarian crisis. So, what do we do about this deliberate water emergency unfolding across Palestine, especially inside the Gaza strip, and especially affecting the most vulnerable population, the children?
Berkeley, California-based Middle East Children's Alliance has taken direct action against the water crisis in Gaza, launching the Maia project to provide Palestinian children with clean, safe drinking water. Maia is Arabic for water.
According to their website, http://www.mecaforpeace.org/project/maia-project, the project began when the Student Parliament at the UN Boys School in Bureij Refugee Camp, Gaza were given the opportunity to choose one thing they most wanted for their school: They chose to have clean drinking water. MECA's partner in Gaza heard about this vote and, after meeting with representatives from the school and the Student Parliament, came to MECA to see if we could respond to the children's request for drinking water. MECA provided the funds to build a water purification and desalination unit for the school in 2007.
MECA's interest in simply providing something we here in this country, and in most industrialized places across the world, for granted clean, safe, drinking water is intrinsically aligned with their 22-year old philosophy that Palestinian, Iraqi and Lebanese children deserve a better and healthier future than the one they've acquired under so many years of occupations and wars.
This philosophy includes the radical notion that there are already incredible people on the ground who are already working hard to better their communities, and international donor support should compliment and sustain that locally-based work. MECA says they are working in partnership with various community organizations to build water purification and desalination units in schools throughout the Gaza strip We have provided clean water to twelve large UN schools in Palestinian refugee camps and to ten kindergartens in refugee camps, towns, and villages,they say.
MECA is appealing for generous donations to combat the aggressive and unraveling humanitarian crisis in Gaza by building water purification systems in Palestinian childrens schools.
A large purification unit for a UN school in a refugee camp costs $11,300. The UN schools run in shifts due to overcrowding and each unit provides drinking water for 1,500-2,000 children and staff. A small purification unit for a preschool or kindergarten costs $4,000 and serves 150-450 children. Many of the small units are located in community centers with after-school programs and summer camps so the units serve these children as well. Many organizations, individuals, and schools around the US are raising the whole cost of a unit in their communities, MECA says.
There's always so much despair when I talk or think or write about Palestine but through this project, and with the work that MECA's staff in California and in Palestine have been doing for so many years, I know it's possible to make an extraordinary difference in children's lives.
Nora Barrows-Friedman is an award-winning journalist, radio producer and writer, and reports on the situation in occupied Palestine from the ground several times a year. Nora writes with the Electronic Intifada, and contributes to Al-Jazeera, Inter Press Service and Truthout.org, among many other news outlets, magazines, and online media sources. She is the recipient of a 2009 Media Freedom Award from Project Censored and the Media Freedom Foundation, and was named a Top 20 Global Media Figure by Pulse Media.
http://bit.ly/arZ869 12 jan 2012, 13:12 , Respect -
Israeli settler sewage water dumped on Beit Ommar land
(3:46) Israeli settler sewage water dumped on Beit Ommar land
On Sunday, Oct. 17th, 2010, Israeli settlers from Gush Etzion flooded Palestinian farmland in Beit Ommar with thousands of liters of raw sewage. The sewage flooded fruit trees and partially submerged a bulldozer, which had to be towed away. This is the fourth time this year that this particular farmland has been flooded by the settlers. 12 jan 2012, 13:18 , Respect -
-
PA signs agreement with France to repair Gaza wastewater station
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Authority signed a new financial agreement with France on Sunday dedicated to the construction of a regional wastewater treatment plant in northern Gaza.
The Beit Lahiya wastewater treatment plant receives wastewater from the 250,000 inhabitants of the municipalities of Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Umm An-Nasser. The plant operates at over four times its nominal capacity.
The first phase provided for the construction of a pumping station in Beit Lahiya and the implementation of infiltration basin to transfer the sewage to the new site at east of Jabaliya to avoid any new flooding of the surrounding areas of Beit Lahiya.
The second phase of the project aims to build a biological treatment plant in Jabaliya. This plant is expected to meet all the needs of northern Gaza by 2015. An agricultural system will also be set up to recover and reuse the treated wastewater.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=326021
12 jan 2012, 13:19 , Respect -
PA says Israel hogging water resources
Prime Minister Salam Fayyad says Palestinian water consumption well below World Health Organization's recommendations; says Israel allowing PA access to only 10% of water resources.
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Friday urged the international community especially the Palestinian Authority's Mediterranean neighbors to work to find a solution to the dire problem of water access in the territories.
"We must work to increase access to available resources and find a solution, based on international laws for sharing water resources," Fayaad said.
The Palestinian prime minister was speaking at a Mediterranean climate conference in Athens, where the PA, Israel and 15 other regional countries agreed Friday to work together to combat the effects of climate change that threaten the region.
The countries signed a declaration calling for "contributing to the emergence of low carbon, resource efficient and climate resilient economies."
Increasing the Palestinians access to water resources, said Fayaad, "Is a challenge. An effort must be made to address this problem in the political process. We must find a solution to increase the availability of water for the population."
The Palestinian leader said that "less than 10% of the population had access to drinking water in Gaza."
"Israel takes 90% of the water and it leaves us with 10% of resources, our situation is particularly difficult our problems are real water consumption is below the average recommended by the World Health Organization, he added."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3973487,00.html
12 jan 2012, 13:19 , Respect -
-
'Israel hogging Gaza water sources'
(2:57) PressTV - Israel hogging Gaza water sources.flv
More than 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip lack access to basic humanitarian supplies such as shortage of water resources.
Many Palestinians are forced to purchase bottled water for their daily needs, as water coming from their taps has run dry, a Press TV correspondent reported on Thursday.
The Gaza aquifer is the only source of water for residents of Gaza. Reports show that 90 percent of its water is not suitable for human consumption due to high levels of nitrate and salinity.
In an interview with Press TV, public health coordinator Tracey Wise said, "Because of such limited amounts of water in Gaza that's acceptable for human consumption, mostly this is the shallow, coastal aquifer, and this aquifer is being over-pumped, so much water is being taken out to supply the needs of Gazans, that you have much more intrusion of sea water."
"And then also you have upwelling of this very, very old water that has high salinity and high concentrations of other pollutants," she added.
Meanwhile, Israel has installed huge pumping stations all along the shared border, diverting water before it reaches the aquifer of Gaza.
Israel has imposed a blockade on the region since June 2007, preventing the entry of hundreds of items, including essential industrial materials needed to repair the water infrastructure.
During the Gaza war, bombs completely destroyed three water wells and much of the water system infrastructure in Gaza.
The Coastal Municipal Water Utility (CMWU) has reported Israel's daily water consumption per capita at around 320 liters while the consumption of Palestinians in Gaza is less than 90 liters.
"We need to start to think about unconventional water sources, [such as] the sea, along with other solutions," said CMWU Director Munzer Shuplaq.
According to recent statistics conducted by CMWU, residents of the coastal enclave will not find healthy water to drink by the year 2015.
http://bit.ly/cI9mA3 - 7 nov 2010
(9:43) Remember Palestine-Severe Water Shortage, Viva Palestina, Anti-Zionist Historian-11-06-2010-(Part1)
As the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands continues into its sixth decade, the indigenous people of the West Bank and Gaza struggle to retain rights to the most basic essential resources.
This episode of Remember Palestine is dedicated to growing restrictions on Palestinians and their basic right to use the natural water reserves of their own land. 12 jan 2012, 13:19 , Respect -
Maria 8 nov 2010
IOA deprives two Palestinian villages of potable water
SALFIT, (PIC)-- The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has been depriving villages of Brukin and Kufr Al-Deek, west of Salfit district, of potable water for the fifth day on Sunday, locals reported.
They said that the sewage water of the nearby Ar'il settlement had polluted the underground water wells of both villages, adding that the IOA cut the water supplies for about 9,000 people.
The sources said that the Israeli national water company Mekorot's supplies to both villages do not meet the citizens' needs.
They said that the IOA controls the rich underground water wells in Salfit then sells it to the citizens.
http://bit.ly/bk11wD 12 jan 2012, 13:19 , Respect -
Maria 14 nov 2010
Valleys of Hope and Despair
(22:48) Witness - Valleys of Hope and Despair
The battle over access to clean water sources is ongoing across the West Bank, with illegal Israeli settlements frequently blocking access and polluting Palestinian farmers' irrigation.
But in the valley of Wadi Fukin, Palestinian and Israeli villagers work together on projects to preserve water supplies and protect their local environment. This cooperation is exceptional in the region, but the huge gains both sides have made are now threatened.
The separation wall is approaching and will physically divide the communities, putting an end to their collaboration and adversely affecting local water sources.
Local farmer Abu Mazen, some of his neighbours and their Israeli counterparts took the authorities to court to halt the construction of the wall.
This timely film looks at an issue of crucial importance to both Palestinians and Israelis and sets the context to the villagers' legal fight. 12 jan 2012, 13:19 , Respect -
Maria 17 nov 2010
Israel's Toxic Chemical Factories Giving Cancer to West Bank Residents
Palestine Monitor
The settlements chemical factories poison Palestinian lands with toxic waste and expose residents to carcinogenic fumes. The factory workers are more vulnerable to cancer due to their employers failure to provide protective clothing. Special report from Sophie Crowe.
The Nitzanei Shalom, (buds of peace), industrial zone sits between the West Bank town of Tulkarem and the border with Israel. The land was expropriated by the Israeli army in the 80's to be developed as a site for dangerous chemical factories, illegal in Israel. Geshuri Industries is one such factory, producing pesticides, insecticides and fertilisers. It was originally located in the Israeli town of Kfar Saba, until a court declared it a health hazard, forcing it to close down in 1982. The owner avoided Israel's strict environmental laws by moving the factory to Nitzanei Shalom.
Dangerous factories such as these usually appear in the settlements, under the jurisdiction of the Israeli Civil Administration, where the PA has no mandate. Palestinian law is powerless to oppose the development of these sites.
Geshuri is surrounded by agricultural land, which has been ruined by the factory's chemical waste. Trees have lost their leaves and much of the ground can no longer be used for agriculture. Some vegetables grow 100m from the factory in the poisoned ground, to be sold in markets in nearby towns.
Dr. Kifaya Abu-El Huda of Cairo University has carried out extensive research on the environmental effects of chemical factories in the West Bank. The western basin of the Tulkarem and Salfid area is very important for the rest of Palestinian land. The ground water is very close to the surface making it sensitive to pollution, says Kifaya. She believes all the water in the western basin's wells is polluted. Air pollution causes respiratory diseases and eye infections in the area's residents. Geshuri came to Tulkarem, cancer levels have increased, caused by the toxic fumes. A whole family living close to the factory now has asthma.
The Geshuri factory operates for eleven months in the year when winds blow the fumes into the West Bank. It closes down for the period when the winds change and blow into Israel, to ensure the toxic fumes do not pollute the Israeli environment.
Arafat Amro of Kav LaOved, an advocacy group for worker's rights, told us that Sol Or factory, which repairs gas bottles in Nitzanei Shalom, is exposing Palestinain workers to dangerous conditions. Palestinians working here are not given the specialised masks needed for this highly dangerous task, the employer only supplying ordinary light masks. Five workers have died here over the past decade from accidents in which they were burnt by chemicals. One worker now has cancer.
Normal protocol for these factories is to monitor workers health with medical check-ups every six months, a practice neglected by Israeli employers in the settlements. Kav LaOved advises workers to visit a doctor regularly and keep a record in order to prove the factory environment is responsible. Amro says many workers do not even know they have cancer until it is too late. This factory should be built away from people, not beside residential areas.
The industrial zones are built on hilltops, their wastewater flowing down to Palestinian villages in the valleys. Factories also burn their waste and leave it in Palestinian agricultural land, Kifaya states. Barkan, the largest industrial settlement in the West Bank, housing one hundred chemical factories, and Ariel are devastating Salfit, in the northern West Bank. Salfit's once beautiful Qana Valley has been polluted by these factories, Kifaya says. Brukeen, one of Salfit's surrounding villages, suffers from the polluting effects of the Ariel industrial settlement, namely in the high levels of cancer reported there.
Fathi Nasser, spokesman of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, told us 20km to the West of Nablus a settlement has started a dump very close to the water source for the wider Nablus area, which it will likely pollute. Nablus authorities have protested but to no avail, environmental laws in the Palestinian Territories being ineffective here. A court declared an oil-producing factory near Nablus hazardous for the environment and ordered it to close. The owner was able to ignore this order, being inside Area C.
More research is needed into the numbers of people falling ill and the severity of the pollution of the land, though Kifaya worries the damage will be felt most keenly by future generations. These illegal factories are another instance of Israel's crippling of the West Bank, through its environment and attacking public health.
http://bit.ly/aLFdie 12 jan 2012, 13:19 , Respect -
Maria 25 nov 2010
Construction begins on Gaza wastewater treatment plant
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The first concrete was poured Thursday morning in the Western-funded construction of a new wastewater treatment plant in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip.
French Consul General Frederic Desagneaux participated in the ceremony along with representatives of the other donors, which include the World Bank, the European Union, Belgium, and Sweden.
The long-obsolete old Beit Lahiya treatment plant has been in need of replacement for several years. In March 2007 a massive sewage cesspit burst its banks, killing at least five people in the ensuing deluge.
According to the French Consulate in Jerusalem, the project was planed in two stages. The first one, completed in summer 2010, consisted in the construction of a pumping station to transfer the sewage to 9 infiltration basins in order to prevent human, environmental and health risks.
The second stage of the project, scheduled for a duration of three years, aims at building a new biological treatment plant with a capacity of 35,600 cubic meters a day in order to meet the needs of the entire population of the North of Gaza, estimated at 250,000 inhabitants, and to protect groundwater.
France donated 16 million euros to this project, a third of its total cost of 48 million euros
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=336054 12 jan 2012, 13:20 , Respect -
Maria 25 nov 2010
Witness: Valleys of Hope and Despair
(22:48) Witness - Valleys of Hope and Despair
The battle over access to clean water sources is ongoing across the West Bank, with illegal Israeli settlements frequently blocking access and polluting Palestinian farmers' irrigation. But in the valley of Wadi Fukin, Palestinian and Israeli villagers work together on projects to preserve water supplies and protect their local environment.
This cooperation is exceptional in the region, but the huge gains both sides have made are now threatened. The separation wall is approaching and will physically divide the communities, putting an end to their collaboration and adversely affecting local water sources. Local farmer Abu Mazen, some of his neighbours and their Israeli counterparts took the authorities to court to halt the construction of the wall.
This timely film looks at an issue of crucial importance to both Palestinians and Israelis and sets the context to the villagers' legal fight. 12 jan 2012, 13:20 , Respect -
Maria 12 jan 2012, 13:20 , Respect -
Maria 11 dec 2010
Israel's Siege on Gaza: "Blue Baby Syndrome" from Water Contamination
Here's an excerpt from a United Nations Environmental Report on Gaza Water in 2009, It is now more than one year later and the situation has obviously gotten worse. Also read the B'Tselem Report below the video
Here's an excerpt from a United Nations Environmental Report on Gaza Water in 2009, It is now more than one year later and the situation has obviously gotten worse. Also read the B'Tselem Report below the video
Restoring Gaza Strip's underground water supplies a top priority - UNEP press release (14 September 2009): http://bit.ly/eHjQh2
"The area receives 300 mm of rain annually, of which 46 per cent of some 45 million cubic metres, recharges the underground aquifer.
For many years now abstraction levels of some 160 million cubic metres annually have out-stripped the natural replenishment levels.
The situation is causing salt water from the sea to intrude into these freshwater supplies, and the report says salinity levels for most parts of the Gaza Strip are now above World Health Organisation guideline limits of 250 milligrams per litre.
In addition, the nature of the soils in the Gaza Strip means that sewage, irrigation water and 'leachate' from overwhelmed and unsealed landfills can easily percolate down into the aquifer.
Tests at nine private wells found many with nitrate concentrations exceeding WHO guidelines of 50 milligrams per litre-one tested as high as 331 milligrams per litre.
High levels of nitrates can cause a form of anaemia in infants known as 'blue baby syndrome'.
One study of close to 340 babies, published in 2007, found that the proportion with worrying levels of the blue baby indicator protein-methemoglobin-was close to half of those studied.
There is concern that levels of nitrates in water may have perhaps become worse as a result of the recent hostilities. (Click here to read the report)
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159132.html
12 jan 2012, 13:20 , Respect -
Maria 11 dec 2010
358 water gaza:
The horrendous water situation in Gaza as described in a CT interview with George Rishmawi, Advocay officer for water issues of tne Near East Council of Churches
(10:02) Gaza Water isn't Fit for Animal, Plant or Human Consumption
Water supplied in Gaza unfit for drinking; Israel prevents entry of materials needed to repair system:
"23 August 2010: Water supplied in Gaza unfit for drinking; Israel prevents entry of materials needed to repair system http://bit.ly/h01v6X
Almost 95 percent of the water pumped in the Gaza Strip is polluted and unfit for drinking. This warning was recently issued by the UN Environment Programme, the Palestinian Water Authority, the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, and international aid organizations. They estimate it will take at least 20 years to rehabilitate Gaza's underground water system, and any delay in dealing with the problem will lead to additional deterioration in the situation and thus might extend the rehabilitation process for hundreds of years. Since it began its siege on the Gaza Strip, in June 2007, Israel has forbidden the entry of equipment and materials needed to rehabilitate the water and wastewater-treatment systems there. The prohibition has remained despite the recent easing of the siege.
Reasons for the water pollution in Gaza
The water crisis in the Gaza Strip arose following over-pumping of the underground water of the Coast Aquifer. It is estimated that the amount of water annually pumped from the aquifer is roughly twice the amount of water that replenishes it. The over-pumping has been going on for several decades, from the time Israel controlled Gaza, through the period in which the Palestinian Authority was in control, and now under the Hamas government.
It causes penetration of saline water into the underground water system.. In addition, the poor maintenance of the wastewater-treatment facilities in Gaza, which increased following the siege, and the damage done to the wastewater-treatment facility in Gaza City during Operation Cast Lead, led to further pollution of the underground water by wastewater, and to greater salinity. Another factor for the pollution is the waste-disposal sites in Gaza, which are not properly handled. Following Operation Cast Lead, these sites received enormous amounts of waste - more than 600,000 tons - including asbestos, medial waste, oils, and fuels.
Water consumption in Gaza
The daily per capita water consumption in the Gaza Strip is 91 liters, slightly higher than in the West Bank, where the figure is 73 liters, yet lower than the minimum of 100 liters recommended by the World Heath Organization. By comparison, daily per capita consumption in Israel is 242 liters in urban areas and 211 liters in rural areas.
Magnitude of the pollution
The director of quality control in the Gazan Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, Eng. Majed Ghanem, told B'Tselem that an examination conducted in late 2009 in 180 wells revealed that, in 93 percent of them, the chloride level (which indicates the water's salinity) was 1,000 to 2,000 mg/liter, four to eight times higher than the 250 mg/liter amount recommended by the WHO. Water with a chloride level this high is unfit for drinking. According to Ghanem, the pollution also affects the water's color and causes its repellent odor.
In addition, an examination carried out by the UN Environment Programme on a number of wells in Gaza found that the concentration of nitrates was six times higher than the 50 mg level recommended by the WHO. This high level of nitrates is liable to cause anemia among children and methemoglobinemia (blue infants syndrome) among infants, which is liable to lead to choking and death. A study published in 2007, in which a sample of 340 infants from Gaza were examined, found that almost half of them suffered from troubling symptoms of the syndrome.
The Palestinian Water Authority estimates that almost 40 percent of the incidence of disease in Gaza is related to polluted drinking water. According to international aid organizations, 20 percent of Gazan families have at least one child under age five who suffers from diarrhea as a result of polluted water. A UN study published in 2009 estimates that diarrhea is the cause of 12 percent of children's deaths in Gaza. The lack of potable drinking water is liable to cause malnutrition in children and affect their physical and cognitive development.
The water pollution also harms the area's agricultural produce. According to Ghanem, the milk given by cows in Gaza is polluted, and farm crops that once characterized the area, such as oranges, have declined in quantity and quality.
Effects of the siege and Operation Cast Lead
Since the beginning of the siege, Israel has prohibited the entry of equipment and materials that can be used to improve water quality and taste, and to develop and rehabilitate the water infrastructure and the wastewater-treatment facilities in Gaza. The prohibition has remained in force even after the recent easing of restrictions, and despite the Cabinet's decision to allow the entry of building materials for projects that have been approved by the Palestinian Authority and are supervised by international organizations. The equipment needed includes water pumps, pipes, generators, computers, building cement, and chloride. Israel classifies these materials as dual-use items that are liable to be used for military purposes, and therefore prohibits their entry.
The Gazan Coastal Municipalities Water Utility currently requires 1,250 tons of cement just to rebuild water reservoirs. The Sufa Crossing between Gaza and Israel, which is intended, among other things, for the transfer of building materials, has been closed since March 2009. The by-laws of the international organizations prohibit them from purchasing cement smuggled into Gaza through tunnels, for the rehabilitation projects.
The lack of construction materials and replacement parts has also led to greater loss of water from the supply network in Gaza. Prior to the siege, the loss had been 30 percent of the amount of water supplied to consumers, generally resulting from leaks in the pipes. In 2009, the loss reached 47 percent, according to figures of the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility.
The Gaza Strip's power station has been working at partial output since Israel bombed it in June 2006. There is also a shortage of industrial fuel needed to operate the station, following the disputes that arose between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas regarding its funding, which has led to frequent power outages. The outages prevent the wastewater-treatment facilities from completing the 14-day treatment cycle and also impair the frequency of water supply to houses. According to UN figures, water is supplied to houses in Gaza City for four to six hours once every five days, and in the rest of the Gaza Strip for four to six hours once every three days. Due to the low pressure, the water does not reach the top floors in tall buildings.
In Operation Cast Lead, Israel damaged Gaza City's wastewater-treatment facility, leading to untreated wastewater flooding extensive farm areas. According to the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, 30 kilometers of water networks, 11 wells, and 6,000 home water tanks were damaged during the operation, and the overall damage to the water and wastewater-treatment facilities amounted to six million dollars.
Most of Gaza's wastewater now flows to the Mediterranean Sea, some as raw wastewater, and some following partial treatment. International organizations have found that the shoreline near which the wastewater flows is polluted and unfit for bathing. Proper wastewater treatment would have enabled use of the treated wastewater for agricultural purposes and reduced pumping of the underground water.
Effect of the economic situation on water consumption
Due to the poor water quality, many Gazans are forced to buy water treated in facilities operated by local entrepreneurs or to use home desalination devices. The quality of the water provided in this way is unsupervised, and the lack of replacement parts and regular power supply has harmed them, too.
Since treatment of water from pollutants such as nitrates and chlorides is very expensive, the cost of a cubic meter of treated water is a high as 50 shekels (some 13 US dollars in August 2010), 10 times higher than the price paid by households in Israel. Many Gazans cannot afford this luxury: the unemployment rate in Gaza reached 39 percent in 2009, and poverty in 2007 was 43 percent. In 2007, average family expenditures in Gaza stood at slightly more than 2,000 shekels a month.
Recommendations of the UN Environment Programme
To prevent the collapse of the Gazan water economy, the UN Environment Programme recommended, a year ago, that pumping of water from the Coast Aquifer in Gaza cease. The Programme also suggested that Israel and Egypt, countries which share the water of the aquifer, formulate a joint action plan - including alternative water-supply sources, among them desalination facilities - to deal with the water crisis in Gaza. The Programme also recommended that an epidemiological survey be made to study the effects of polluted-water consumption on the Gazan population, especially on the children.
To cope with the grave water crisis in Gaza, Israel must immediately allow the entry of materials and equipment needed to rehabilitate and develop the water and wastewater-treatment systems there. Also, all the sides - Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the Hamas government, and Egypt - must take action to stop the rapid deterioration in the condition of the underground water system of the Coast Aquifer, which serves residents of the Gaza Strip, and find additional sources of drinking water for the residents. Also, Israel must take action to ensure a fair and equal distribution of the water resources shared by Israel and the Palestinians.
http://bit.ly/fW3eBV