2.3 - Water conflict in the Middle-East

2.3 - Water conflict in the Middle-East

1. Palestine - Made up of West Bank, Gaza Strip, Eastern Jerusalem

   • Is not internationally recognised as a country
   • Gaza Strip 40km long + 10km wide
     • Home to more than 1.5 million people
     • GS conflict - Egypt, Arab-Israel war- 1967
   • Israel pulled out in 2005 - Still exercise control
   • 2007 - Hamas (Militant Islamic group) take over strip

2. The Gaza Strip

   • 360 ppl per km sq
   • 45% of land agric
   • 115km under irrigation
     • Serious water qual issues
     • Irrigation vital to economy

3. Climate

   • Hot summers, mild winters
   • Relies on winter rainfall
   • High evaporation
   • Recharge of aquifers needed
     • Only natural water supply - no rivers

4. Reasons for limited water

   • Low rainfall
   • Over us of resources
   • Political competition
   • Israelis living in Jewish settlements - no water restrictions
     • Subsided water - costs $0.1 per cubic meter
     • Has access to most reliable aquifers
       • Settlements thrive
   • Palestine economy suffers
     • Big gap in living standards - political conflict rising

5. What scarcity in Gaza Strip

   • Military action damaged water infrastructure
   • High birth rates for Israel and Palestine
   • Pollution from agric chems - sewage seeping from septic tanks - damaged in attacks
   • Over pumped aquifers
     • water table fallen
     • Sea water gets in
     • Crops damaged

6. Impact of polluted water

   • Kidney disease
   • People too poor for bottled water
   • 10,000 Gazans don't have access to water

7. Problems with repairing damaged infrastructure

   • 2007 Gaza blacked by Israel and Egypt so can't get supplies
   • Urgent need to cement, pipes, pumps etc

8. Way forward

   • New but primitive waste water plants
   • New shallow wells dug
   • New desalination plants and international help needed with this