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A strong organic relationship develops between a land and its people generation after generation. The respect for and the understanding of their ecosystem shape their lives. When respected, the environment is the source of well-being, but when abused it becomes the source of ill health and discord.
Palestine once covered 26,320km² of land and 704km² of inland water. There were rolling woodlands covered with thickets, forests and grasslands (Jad, p.1). The 1948 war displaced 900,000 Palestinians, witnessed a massive influx of refugees into a fragile ecosystem and began the destruction of over 419 Palestinian villages (Palestine-net, p.1-14). By the time of the 1967 Israeli occupation, Gaza was on the brink of a water crisis with frequent outbreaks of waterborne diseases and increased soil alkalinity and salinity (Kimberley, p.1, 2). Palestine is now two separate landmasses - the West Bank and the Gaza Strip including the Dead Sea, covering a surface of 6,210km² (Jad, p.1). Barren hills have replaced woodlands and deserts have replaced grasslands.
Because of the Israeli occupation, expansion and increased construction projects, Palestine now suffers from a weakened agricultural system, wastewater, solid waste pollution problems and water security issues.
Agricultural System Weaknesses
Agriculture today accounts for less than 3% of industrialized Israel's GDP, but it is crucial to the Palestinian economy (Sher, p.3). During the Intifada (Palestinian uprising), Israeli forces uprooted acres of olive trees, grapevines, palm trees, almonds, oranges, figs, strawberries, guava and bananas (Kimberley, p.2). Documented cases of cleared land by the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture report that 271,797 trees have been uprooted (Jad, p.25). Palestinians have no sovereignty and limited access to the region's natural resources.
In addition, most Israeli settlements are built on confiscated Palestinian agricultural or communal grazing lands. Closed military areas, mainly in the Jordan Valley, are located on such land in the West Bank. The overgrazed land available is under the threat of permanent desertification.
Dr. Julie Trottier of the Belgian Universite Catholique de Louvain pointed out that Palestinians only have control of 18% of the available water and that 65% of that small allowance actually goes towards irrigation under the control of villagers who have regulated their water resources for centuries with tight social control (Kelly, p.3). The policy of "closure" has prevented farmers from reaching the markets, making food in the market more expensive. When they are able to sell their produce they are forced to sell it for a much lower price (Jad, p.4 - 10). For many other farmers, their land has been taken, and in some cases torched.
Wastewater Pollution
Many Palestinians are not linked to a sewage system. The wastewater from many Israeli settlements is collected and discharged into nearby valleys without treatment, affecting nearby Palestinian communities like Wadi Qana, Nahalin, al-Khader al-Jani, al-Walajeh, Dura and Bani Na'im. In Nahalin, Bethlehem, for example, they are exposed to the farm effluents from the nearby Rush Tsorim settlement.
Some Israeli settlements in the West Bank are primarily used for cattle and livestock, however, the manure from these farms is dumped in Palestinian valleys and on agricultural lands, destroying soil structure and polluting valuable water resources. This leaves a rampant breeding ground for disease. Wastewater from the Ara'el settlement in the Salfiet District flows into a dry creak that is less than four meters from Salfiet's drinking water well. This affects both Israeli's and Palestinians. The agricultural village of Beit Omar lies between two mountains, with Israeli settlements Gush Etzion and Karame Zur at either ends of the valley. The settlement of Etzion is built on Beit Omar agricultural land. Every October Etzion's untreated wastewater flows into the valley onto the agricultural lands of Beit Omar at harvest time.
Last year 30% - 35% of the agricultural land was severely damaged by wastewater, affecting 400 tons of fruit and the income of the 5,000 inhabitants of Beit Omar. Last February, Israel discharged 3.5mn m³ of wastewater mixed with rainwater into the Gaza Strips northern towns (Jad, p.20-22).
Solid Waste Pollution
Responding to the Israeli court order in 1982, Israel moved its polluting industries out of Israel because of the environmental impact on land, public health and agriculture. They were then moved to the 1967 borders or inside settlements - damaging citrus trees and polluting the soil and groundwater in the area. Israel created seven industrial zones on the West Bank covering 302 hectares mainly on hilltops. Consequentially, industrial wastewater flows onto adjacent Palestinian lands. In the Barqan Industrial Zone, there is aluminum production, fiberglass, electroplating, surface coating, waste oil recycling, metal fabrication and military industries. Solid waste is often collected and dumped in or near the Palestinian villages of Sarta, Kufr a-Deek and Bruqeen. Chemical analysis reveals elevated concentrations of heavy metals and organic solvents. Landfills are an established means of getting rid of waste. The European Investment Bank funded work on the Hebron - Bethlehem joint landfill project as a solution. However, workers and materials were prevented from reaching the site (Jad, p.24).
Water Security Issues
This has been an on-going issue, seemingly with no end. The annual flow of the Jordan River was 1250mcm annually in 1953 but is now down to 152 - 203mcm and along with underground aquifers is the main source of water for all riparians: Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Israel. Israel controls the headwaters of the river and diverts it through national water carriers to irrigate the Negev (Jad, p.18).
The Palestinian use of the River Jordan before 1967 was through 140 pumping units that have been destroyed or confiscated by the Israeli authorities (Sher, p.1, 2). The Palestinian entitlement to water includes the underground water of the West Bank and Gaza aquifers and a rightful share as riparians to the Jordan River. Israel uses the Western Aquifer System on the West Bank via 300 deep underground wells. Palestinians are limited to 22mcm annually. The Gaza Aquifer supplies 2,200 wells. Its annual safe yield is 55mcm, but is over-pumped at 110mcm. This lowers the water table below sea level causing saline water intrusion from the saline strata, seawater and return flows from intensive irrigation. In total 246mcm of water supplies three million Palestinians for domestic, industrial and agricultural needs compared to 1959mcm of water for six million Israelis. From the N.E Aquifer System on the West Bank, Palestinians receive 42mcm, whereas Israel receives 103 mcm annually (Jad p.16-19).
At the 7th International Conference of the Israeli Society for Ecology and Environmental Quality Sciences in 1999, scientist David Scarpa of Bethlehem University collected samples from 70 springs revealing a contamination with bacteria that was dangerously concentrated in some instances with chemical pollutants. He commented, "drinking water from all sources - springs, rain-fed cisterns and networks - have been reduced to levels that represent a danger to health." There was an increase in amoebic dysentery in most villages. Dr. Scarpa proposed that the springs and rain-fed cisterns be brought under Palestinian control to be upgraded and properly maintained. Undermining situations even further, Dr. Julie Trottier of Belgium highlighted that international donors, who pay for the pipelines, wells and water networks are contributing to the competition and the trend already implemented in Israel of the use of domestic water over irrigation. (Kelly, p.2).
International Assistance
An assessment on the environmental impact on the occupied Palestinian Territories failed to take the issue further. A report, 14111, presented to UNEP's Governing Council recognized that the environmental situation was as a result of Israeli occupation, but was rejected. Complaints were made that the official Israeli statistics given were manipulative and restrictive. The consensus in 2000 was to form a neutral group to make further suggestions (UNEP, p.1). This year, at the close of a three-day meeting of the Governing Council, the undertaking has been made to assess the occupied Palestinian Territories (ENS, p.1). Over 120 countries and 90 ministers were involved. It will need their combined will in the midst of the global political malaise to honestly recognize what needs to be ascertained and fulfilled with the people of the region involved.
Seeing the earth as a possession to be owned, conquered and used selfishly is a most dangerous and destructive understanding of what God has bestowed upon us as caretakers. In this, the seeds of disrespect for all forms of life are sown. There is no thought for a sustainable future for generations to come except by those who feel justifiably angered.
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