PalestinianPalestinian Water SectorWater SectorAmbitions and Ambitions and OpportunitiesOpportunities

R. El SheikhR. El SheikhDeputy Chairman, Palestinian Water AuthorityDeputy Chairman, Palestinian Water Authority

THE WATER GEOPLOITICS ROUND TABLETHE WATER GEOPLOITICS ROUND TABLETURINTURIN

March, 2007March, 2007

GAZA STRIPGAZA STRIP

6

#

Egypt

Red Sea

Lebanon

Syr

ia

Tiberia s

Jerusal em

Gaza Strip

N

Jabalya

Gaza

Deir al-Balah

Khan Yunis

Rafah

1 0 1 2 Kilometers

Wadi

Israeli Military zone

Built up AreaAirport

Area under Israeli control

Israeli Settlement

Regional roadMain roadLocal road

e

365 km2 40 km long 6 -12 km wide 1.5 inhabitant >4000 agriculture wells ~75 mcm/Agr. 130 domestic wells 75 mcm /M&I ~90mcm natural recharge

and lateral flow ~60 mcm deficit/year

Mountain Aquifers/West BankMountain Aquifers/West Bank

Water Sector Institutional FrameworkWater Sector Institutional Framework

Investiment Plan(2000-2020)-GAZA

0.0

100.0

200.0

300.0

400.0

500.0

600.0

700.0

800.0

900.0

Investiment Sector

US

$ m

illio

n

new water resources water supply water treatment

wastewater stormwater collection aquifer management

Investment Plan/ West BankInvestment Plan/ West Bank

0200400600800

1000120014001600

2000-2005

2006-2010

2011-2015

2016-2020

Time Period (Years)

To

tal

Co

st M

illi

on

US

$ Stormwater

WaterConservation

Wastewater

WaterResources

Agriculture

Water Supply

Weakness factorsWeakness factors

1. Internal Factors 1.1Weak Enforcement of the law 1.2 No sufficient attention by the PA ( NWC, Government, Presidency office) 1.3 Deteriorating consumers’ water culture 1.4 Lack of integrity among related PA

organizations

Weakness factorsWeakness factors

2. External Factors 2.1 Israeli incursions directed most efforts

towards emergency works rather than development

2.2 Donor community is reluctant to fulfill its commitments

2.3 Political situation is affecting negatively the socioeconomic dimension.

Palestinian Water Rights Palestinian Water Rights ReferencesReferences

• Eastern Aquifer Ownership• Equitable Distribution from South West and North East

Aquifers• Equitable Distribution of Wadis East Gaza• Recover Complete Water Rights in Jordan Valley Basin• Riparian Rights of the Dead Sea, Political and Natural

Resources• Regional Rights in the Mediterranean• Compensation against the Israeli Actions since 1967

The Israeli View in Camp DavidThe Israeli View in Camp David

Perpetuate the current inequitable allocation and provide funding for new

water to enhance Palestine’s share

New

New

Isra

el

Palestine

Isra

el

Palestine

Ove

rall

Wat

er A

lloc

atio

n

The Palestinian View (Step 1)The Palestinian View (Step 1)

Reallocate the existing water resources,

generating equitable allocations

Isra

el

Palestine

Isra

el

Palestine

Ove

rall

Wat

er A

lloc

atio

n

The Palestinian View ( Step 2)The Palestinian View ( Step 2)

Develop and allocate the “new water” - note that the end point is the same as in the Israeli approach

Isra

el

Palestine

Isra

el

Palestine

Ove

rall

Wat

er A

lloc

atio

n

New

New

OpportunitiesOpportunities

• A fair agreement on water must be included in the Permanent Status Solution. This will support peace initiatives and diffuse conflicts, which is the interest of both parties.

• Customary international water law calls for the equitable and reasonable allocation of shared water resources.

• Joint management of the shared water resources is inevitable if the agreement is to be effective.

• The provision of “new water” from desalination is the long term solution.