Environment, politics, and history of the Gaza Strip are all connected to the water crisis in the region. The crisis, which has existed for decades, has been worsened by the recent escalation of hostilities. A continuous “replenishing” from the World Bank could potentially fund numerous projects, but it can never bring back lost lives due to water contamination. It is not surprising that one of UNEP’s recommendations is that “efforts should be made at the highest possible political level to remove water resources from the conflict framework.” As the “Theory” section points out, in order to address the root causes of this issue, humanitarian efforts must be coordinated with peacekeeping initiatives. The main challenges in the Gaza Strip are that (1) the concept of territoriality is still contested and (2) the Palestinian National Authority’s capacity is constantly weakened by hostilities in the region and Israel’s blockade.
Despite the numerous deterrents outlined above, there are measures being taken on an international, regional, and domestic levels. A lot of effort has been done in order to asses the damages and costs in connection to the recent military operations. The key goal is implementing the proposed plans as soon as possible. According to the UNEP, “water will become scarcer in the future.” In addition, there are numerous health risks connected to the crisis — Palestinian children are at a very high risk of nitrate poisoning.
Efforts for a sustainable solution to the problem include cooperation between Palestinian and Israeli authorities. Some propose reparations from the Israeli side because of the damage that have inflicted in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Given the causality between the recent hostilities and the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, compensations seem to be very appropriate. Nevertheless, the military wing of Hamas and IDF have both been accused of crimes against humanity. The water crisis, in itself, is a crime against humanity which deserves constant international attention. In addition to advancing a peace-building agenda in the region, the international community should concentrate its efforts on building links with domestic organizations and experts in the region.
In order to increase public awareness about these issues, attention should be given to the environmental discourse in relation to the water crisis, instead of the prevailing discourse on terrorism. Video materials, podcasts, and blogs such as this one could play an instrumental role in informing the public about this serious issue.
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A symbolic action to direct the public attention to Qarawat Bani Zaid village located on the West Bank, which also has a water crisis.