MANAGING PALESTINE'S WATER BUDGET: PROVIDING FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE NEEDS

摘要

The political situation in Palestine is unstable and stagnant due to the ongoing and the "not-going-on" peace process negotiations. The parallel on-the-ground activities in all sectors in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip are inadvertently affected by this political-socio-economic climate. Water and all of its accompanying components and works is one of the most fundamental, challenging and critical problems facing Palestinian society as a whole. The lack of water resources (or the lack of access to water resources) further aggravates the usual competition between different uses (domestic/municipal; agricultural; and industrial). The gap between available water resources and the demand for water resources is increasing with time. Actual consumption per capita is decreasing every year as natural population growth is coupled with the same supply levels and extremely limited development. Development in all aspects in Palestine is constrained and repressed by the lack of adequate water supplies. Brief sectoral descriptions are presented, along with up-to-date data on water supply and demand. A generalized presentation of the growing gap between water supplies and demands is illustrated, along with potential management alternatives or options for the future water and wastewater sector in Palestine.