Water scenarios in the Gaza Strip, Palestine: Thirst, hunger and disease

This paper examines the interacting problems which govern poor access to quality drinking water, as well as the related problems of solid waste treatment and recycling. The need for a stable political resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict is paramount. Although long-term solutions to the crisis require a regional political solution, there are several local activities that can reduce the degradation of water supplies and larger eco-systems. These include desalination of seawater and brackish water, water import and domestic water filtration units. The big problem is to allow the groundwater aquifer to recharge over time. Other problems - all caused by the unresolved conflict - are unemployment, land degradation, agriculture limitation, smuggling of pesticides and fertilisers, absence of monitoring and licensing, and the collapse of the political system.