Water Transfers Leading to Conflict

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Israel water dispute with Palestinians over West Bank aquifer;

Water conservation in Israel and occupied West Bank is an issue

Demand outstrips water supply of freshwater and it is growing

Water is stored wherever possible

Expensive schemes such as reservoirs are not an option for Palestinians

Water Carriers:

Many Palestinian farmers and residents continue to use wells for drinking water

Some villages remain unconnected from the main water supply

Israeli's consume 4x as much water as West Bank Palestinian's whose water consumption at best reaches 70 litres per capita per day. In some areas Palestinians are surviving on as little as 20 litres a day. Israel uses more than 80% of water drawn from the aquifer

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Causes:

The region suffers from long periods of drought with little surface water across the region. High temperatures lead to high evaporation rates

Few available water sources in this region. West Bank aquifer, River Jordan and a coastal aquifer extending into the Gaza Strip. Palestinians mainly depend on wells and springs

Israel has controlled West Bank for 40 years. Palestinians have been forbidden from drilling wells or improving old ones

Israeli's consume 4x as much water as West Bank Palestinians

Israel keeps 80% of water it drills, Palestinians get left overs

Underground springs were appropriated by Israel in 1948. Israel makes it impossible for Palestinians to dig for water/join water grid

Under the Oslo Agreement Israel gets 246 m cubed of water per person per year from all sources. Palestinians only get 57 m cubed

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Solutions:

In 2004 Israel signed a deal to buy water shipped by tanker from Turkey

Israel plans to to build giant desalination plant on Mediterranean coast as Caesaria. Water will be pumped from here to West Bank along a network of pipes

Red Dead Canal - pumping water from Red Sea to Dead Sea

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Effects:

Faqua residents have to spend money buying water from outside the area

Water quality in the West Bank is deteriorating and water is becoming more saline. Palestinians suffer as a result

Israeli's have swimming pools and watered gardens but Palestinians struggle to meet basic needs

Faqua has no running water and no sewage system. Water brought in by tanker is often contaminated causing chronic diarrhoea