Water Transfers Leading to Conflict

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

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

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

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